Car towed in Mississippi? Start here
Free steps to find your car, protect your deadlines and ask for your money back in Mississippi.
We checked 7 Mississippi towing rules against official sources. Each one has its citation, a link and the date we checked it.
1. Find your car
We don't have an official towed-car lookup for Mississippi 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
- 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 before the tow company can start a public sale: 10 days, counted from date the tow company mails its certified sale-notice letter (sent if charges are unpaid 30 days after the tow).
Official text: “If such property has not been redeemed within ten (10) days after the mailing of the certified letter, the towing company may commence sale of the property at public auction.”
We haven't checked how Mississippi 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: Miss. Code Ann. § 85-7-251(2) (text as reproduced in 2026 H.B. 18). Last checked .
Appeal tow charges to CTAC (commercial vehicles only): 15 days, counted from date the tow invoice is sent.
Official text: “Any appeals must be made within fifteen (15) calendar days from the time the towing invoice is sent.”
We haven't checked how Mississippi 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: Mississippi Commercial Vehicle Towing Manual v1.8, Rule 14(2). 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 Mississippi rules we checked are below.
Key towing rules in Mississippi
If the tow company wants to sell the car
For tows requested by the owner, directed by police, or requested by a property owner where the car was left without permission, the owner owes the reasonable price of towing and storage, and the tow company may keep the car until it is paid.
Official text: “shall be liable for the reasonable price of towing and storage of such vehicle”
Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 85-7-251(1) (current text as reproduced in 2026 H.B. 18, which died in committee). Last checked .
Within 24 hours, the tow company must report any tow (other than one the owner asked for) to the local law enforcement agency.
Official text: “Within twenty-four (24) hours, the towing company shall report to the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction any vehicle that has been towed”
Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 85-7-251(2) (text as reproduced in 2026 H.B. 18). Last checked .
If the owner has not contacted the company within five business days, the company must look up the owner and lienholder and notify them by registered mail of the amount due, postmarked no later than the 10th day after the tow.
Official text: “postmarked no later than the tenth day following the initial tow”
Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 85-7-251(2) (text as reproduced in 2026 H.B. 18). Last checked .
After a sale, money left over after towing, reasonable storage and sale costs is held by the tow company for six months for the owner; after that it goes to the county, subject to the lienholder's rights.
Official text: “shall be held by the towing company for a period of six (6) months”
Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 85-7-251(2) (text as reproduced in 2026 H.B. 18). Last checked .
A car abandoned on a public street, road or highway may not be sold at auction until 30 days after it was removed.
Official text: “shall not be sold at auction until thirty (30) days from date of removal from a public street, road or highway”
Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 63-23-5(1) (text brought forward unchanged in 2026 H.B. 18). Last checked .
Getting money back
If the tow company does not make a good-faith effort to follow these notice and reporting rules, it may not impose any towing or storage charges on the car.
Official text: “shall preclude the imposition of any storage charges or towing charges against the towed vehicle”
Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 85-7-251(3) (current text as reproduced in 2026 S.B. 2724, which died in committee). Last checked .
Who regulates tow companies
For commercial vehicles only, the Commercial Towing Advisory Committee at the Mississippi Department of Public Safety sets statewide maximum rates for nonconsensual tows (including from private property) and hears fee disputes; storage fees are suspended while a dispute is pending.
Official text: “Establish statewide maximum towing and storage rates for nonconsensual tows, including those from private property.”
Source: Mississippi Commercial Vehicle Towing Manual v1.8 (CTAC, July 23, 2026); Miss. Code §§ 63-37-1 to 63-37-15. Last checked .
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