Car towed in Iowa? Start here
Free steps to find your car, protect your deadlines and ask for your money back in Iowa.
We checked 6 Iowa towing rules against official sources. Each one has its citation, a link and the date we checked it.
1. Find your car
- Des Moines Police: vehicle impound and retrieval (Des Moines; Cars towed by the Des Moines Police Department (stored at Crow Tow, 826 SE 21st Street, phone 515-276-9869), what to bring, and how to request an administrative hearing. Private-property tows may not be recorded by police.). Last checked .
If it isn't listed, call the police non-emergency number for the city or county where you parked. Ask whether the car was towed, by whom and where it was taken. We never charge to help you find your car.
What to do right now
- Make sure it was towed, not stolen. Use an official lookup if there is one, or call the police non-emergency number for the place where you parked. Ask who towed it, where it is, and the lot's hours.
- Take photos now. The spot where you parked, every sign at the entrances (or the lack of one), curb paint and meters. When you get the car back, photograph all sides, the inside and the odometer before you leave the lot.
- Get the paperwork. Keep every notice, receipt and letter, and the envelope it came in. Ask for a copy of anything that shows who asked for the tow.
- Ask for an itemized bill before you pay. Compare each charge with the posted rates and, where we list one, your state's or city's maximum.
- Pay by credit card if you can. A card payment leaves a record, and card issuers have a process for disputing charges. Ask for a receipt either way.
- Write down what happened. Times, names, what people said, and any damage you notice.
- Note every deadline. Look for dates on every paper you get. Some deadlines to ask for a hearing or to stop a sale are only days long, and storage charges usually grow every day.
This is general information to help you keep track. It is not legal advice, and it does not decide whether a tow or a charge was lawful.
2. Know your deadline
Reclaim the car, or ask for a hearing on a police tow, after an Iowa abandoned-vehicle notice: 10 days, counted from date of the notice (Iowa law treats notice as given when mailed).
Official text: “their right to reclaim the vehicle and personal property contained therein within ten days after the effective date of the”
We haven't checked how Iowa counts weekends and holidays, so the calculator never moves the date later. Treat it as the last day and act sooner if you can.
Source: Iowa Code § 321.89(3)(b)(3), (e). Last checked .
Ask for an administrative hearing on a Des Moines police impound: 10 days, counted from date of the impoundment.
Official text: “To request an administrative hearing, fill out the Request for an Administrative Hearing form and submit it to the City Clerk's Office within 10 days of the impoundment.”
We haven't checked how Iowa counts weekends and holidays, so the calculator never moves the date later. Treat it as the last day and act sooner if you can.
Source: City of Des Moines Police Department, Vehicle Impound and Retrieval Information. Last checked .
Free deadline calculator
Enter the date from your papers. The calculator only counts days; it doesn't say whether a deadline was met. The dates printed on your notices are the ones that count.
3. Get your money back
Common ways people ask for a refund:
- Ask the tow company in writing to refund any charge you think was wrong, and keep a copy.
- File a complaint with the agency that regulates tow companies, if there is one.
- If you paid by card, ask your card issuer how to dispute a charge.
- Ask for a hearing if your state has one (see the deadlines above), or file in small claims court.
- If you want advice about your own situation, talk to a lawyer or legal aid.
The Iowa rules we checked are below.
Key towing rules in Iowa
Hearings
When police (or a company hired by police) took the car, the notice must say that a person claiming the car who disputes the planned disposal or the fees may ask the police authority for an evidentiary hearing.
Official text: “may ask for an evidentiary hearing before the police authority to contest those matters”
Source: Iowa Code § 321.89(3)(d). Last checked .
Des Moines police impounds only: the city page says an administrative hearing is requested with the Request for an Administrative Hearing form filed with the City Clerk's Office within 10 days of the impoundment.
Official text: “submit it to the City Clerk's Office within 10 days of the impoundment”
Source: City of Des Moines Police Department, Vehicle Impound and Retrieval Information. Last checked .
If the tow company wants to sell the car
Whoever takes custody of an abandoned vehicle (police or private company) must send notice by certified mail to the registered owner and lienholders no more than 20 days after taking it. The notice must explain the right to reclaim the car and belongings within 10 days.
Official text: “shall send notice by certified mail that the vehicle has been taken into custody no more than twenty days after taking custody of the vehicle”
Source: Iowa Code § 321.89(3)(a)-(b). Last checked .
If the car is not reclaimed, it can be sold at public auction or sent to a demolisher. After police deduct their costs, money left over from the sale is held for the owner or lienholder for 90 days.
Official text: “Any remainder from the proceeds of a sale shall be held for the owner of the vehicle or entitled lienholder for ninety days”
Source: Iowa Code § 321.89(5). Last checked .
Signs and permission to tow
Iowa treats a car left on private property without the owner's consent for more than 24 hours as an abandoned vehicle. The property owner may have a garagekeeper (a towing or storage business) take it without a police request.
Official text: “A property owner or other person in control of private property may employ a private entity who is a garagekeeper”
Source: Iowa Code § 321.89(1)(a)(3), (2). Last checked .
Paying
To reclaim the car or belongings, the person pays the towing, preservation, storage and notice costs. Before driving it away, the person shows a valid driver's license and proof of financial liability coverage (insurance).
Official text: “upon payment of all towing, preservation, and storage charges resulting from placing the vehicle in custody”
Source: Iowa Code § 321.89(3)(b)(3), (4). Last checked .
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