Car towed in Maine? Start here

1. Find your car

We don't have an official towed-car lookup for Maine on our list yet.

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Write down what happened. Times, names, what people said, and any damage you notice.
7. 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

• Retrieve the car and pay charges before it counts as abandoned (Maine abandoned-vehicle process): 14 days, counted from date the Secretary of State sends the notice.

  Official text: “within 14 days after the notices to the owner and lienholder are sent by the Secretary of State”

  We haven't checked how Maine 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: 29-A M.R.S. § 1852. Last checked October 5, 2026.

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 Maine rules we checked are below.

Key towing rules in Maine

If the tow company wants to sell the car

• In Maine's abandoned-vehicle process, the person holding the car reports it to the Secretary of State, which then mails the owner and any lienholder a notice listing the charges and the date ownership will pass.

  Official text: “the Secretary of State shall inform the vehicle owner and lienholder, if any, by regular mail that the vehicle is being claimed under the abandoned vehicle law”

  Source: 29-A M.R.S. § 1854(3). Last checked October 5, 2026.

• When police or highway authorities remove an improperly parked vehicle, the same notice and payment rules of Maine's abandoned-vehicle law apply.

  Official text: “the notification requirements and provisions for payment of towing and storage costs in chapter 15, subchapter 3 apply”

  Source: 29-A M.R.S. § 2069(5). Last checked October 5, 2026.

Fees and caps

• Storage charges for vehicles covered by Maine's abandoned-vehicle law must be reasonable and may not total more than $1,500 for a 30-day period. If the holder reports the car to the Secretary of State late (after 14 days) or not at all, it may collect no more than 14 days of storage.

  Official text: “total storage charges may not exceed $1,500 for a 30-day period”

  Source: 29-A M.R.S. § 1857. Last checked October 5, 2026.

Paying

• A tow or storage company may hold the car until reasonable towing and storage charges are paid, but not the owner's personal effects, such as medications, medical equipment, clothing, mail and child car seats.

  Official text: “not including the personal effects of the registered owner”

  Source: 29-A M.R.S. § 1861. Last checked October 5, 2026.

Getting money back

• If the owner pays the towing, storage and repair charges before a new title is issued, the holder must release the car right away. Refusing to release it after reasonable charges are paid is a Class E crime.

  Official text: “A person who refuses to release a vehicle when reasonable charges are paid”

  Source: 29-A M.R.S. § 1856. Last checked October 5, 2026.

• For a nonconsensual tow of a commercial motor vehicle, the towing facility must give a detailed itemized invoice before demanding payment, and the customer is not liable for any charge left off that invoice.

  Official text: “is not liable for any charge not itemized on the invoice”

  Source: 29-A M.R.S. § 1863. Last checked October 5, 2026.