Car towed in North Carolina? Start here

1. Find your car

• Charlotte towing ordinance: the lot's signs must show a phone number to get your car and the storage address (Charlotte; private-lot tows). Last checked October 5, 2026.

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

• Ask the DMV for a hearing before a lien sale: 10 days, counted from date you received the DMV notice.

  Official text: “a period of 10 days from the date of receipt in which to notify the Division”

  We haven't checked how North Carolina 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: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 44A-4(b)(1). 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 North Carolina rules we checked are below.

Key towing rules in North Carolina

Hearings

• After a tow directed by a law enforcement officer, you can ask in writing for a probable-cause hearing before a magistrate, who must set it within 72 hours of receiving the request. If there was no probable cause, the tow company's lien is extinguished.

  Official text: “The magistrate shall set the hearing within 72 hours of his receiving the request.”

  Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-219.11. Last checked October 5, 2026.

If the tow company wants to sell the car

• Before a lien sale of a car, the owner has 10 days from receiving the DMV notice to ask the DMV for a hearing. If a hearing is requested, the DMV transfers title only on a court order.

  Official text: “a period of 10 days from the date of receipt in which to notify the Division”

  Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 44A-4(b)(1). Last checked October 5, 2026.

Signs and permission to tow

• In the counties and cities the law lists (including Mecklenburg/Charlotte, Wake, Durham, Guilford, Forsyth, Cumberland/Fayetteville and New Hanover), a lot that tows must post signs at least 24 by 24 inches at all entrances, with the tow company's name and phone number.

  Official text: “no smaller than 24 inches by 24 inches”

  Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-219.2. Last checked October 5, 2026.

Paying

• After a police-directed tow, you can get the car back by paying the towing fee or by posting a bond for double the towing fee.

  Official text: “Posting a bond for double the amount of the towing fee”

  Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-219.12. Last checked October 5, 2026.

Getting money back

• A lienor who does not follow the lien-sale rules is liable to the owner for $100, a reasonable attorney's fee and actual damages.

  Official text: “in the sum of one hundred dollars ($100.00), together with a reasonable attorney's fee”

  Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 44A-4(g). Last checked October 5, 2026.