Car towed in Oklahoma? Start here
Free steps to find your car, protect your deadlines and ask for your money back in Oklahoma.
We checked 8 Oklahoma towing rules against official sources. Each one has its citation, a link and the date we checked it.
1. Find your car
- Oklahoma DPS Stored Vehicle Search (Oklahoma (statewide); Search by VIN for vehicles impounded by law enforcement in Oklahoma.). Last checked .
- Service Oklahoma: impounded vehicles (Oklahoma (statewide); How to locate a car impounded by law enforcement (Locate My Vehicle by VIN) and what proof of ownership, ID, and insurance to bring to the wrecker service.). 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
We haven't verified a Oklahoma deadline yet, so there is no calculator here. Look for dates on every notice or letter you get from the police, the tow lot or the DMV, and act before that date.
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 Oklahoma rules we checked are below.
Key towing rules in Oklahoma
If the tow company wants to sell the car
A wrecker claiming a possessory lien must send a Notice of Possessory Lien by certified mail, and a Notice of Sale must be posted and mailed by certified mail to the owner at least 10 days before any sale.
Official text: “at least ten (10) days before the time therein specified for such sale”
Source: 42 O.S. § 91A(A)(2)(c), (A)(4)(a). Last checked .
Fees and caps
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission sets maximum rates for nonconsensual tows (police tows and tows from private property), and a wrecker may not charge more. On the OCC chart effective June 1, 2024, a car of 8,000 lb or less is capped at $4.99 per mile (25 miles or less) and $108.06 hookup.
Official text: “Wrecker services may choose to charge less than the maximum allowed but may not charge more.”
Source: 47 O.S. §§ 953.1, 966; OCC Order No. 741981 (rate chart effective June 1, 2024). Last checked .
Wreckers on an official rotation log must post the current OCC maximum rate chart where people pay to get their car released.
Official text: “conspicuously display a copy of the current Oklahoma Corporation Commission Nonconsensual Towing Maximum Wrecker Rate Chart at each location where a person will be paying for a vehicle release”
Source: OAC 165:30-26-18 (quoted in OCC Q&A revised 5/30/2024). Last checked .
Signs and permission to tow
To remove an abandoned or unauthorized car from private property, the property owner or agent signs a DPS Tow Request and Authorization Form with a licensed Class AA wrecker, and both inventory the car's contents. The wrecker may not tow until the form is completed.
Official text: “by signing a Tow Request and Authorization Form prescribed by the Department of Public Safety”
Source: 47 O.S. § 954A(B), (E), (H). Last checked .
Paying
For police-ordered tows, the wrecker must release personal property in the car to the registered owner (with proof of identity) at no cost during normal business hours; after-hours fees may apply.
Official text: “it shall be at no cost to the registered owner”
Source: 47 O.S. § 955(E). Last checked .
A car impounded by police is not released unless the owner shows proof of valid insurance or an affidavit of nonuse (an insurer that accepted liability is exempt).
Official text: “unless the owner provides to the storing facility proof of valid insurance or an affidavit of nonuse on the roadway”
Source: 47 O.S. § 955(A). Last checked .
Getting money back
After a private-property tow, the wrecker must look up the owner and lienholder and send notice of the car's location. If it does not follow these notice steps, the owner or lienholder does not have to pay storage.
Official text: “the owner or lienholder shall not be required to pay for storage of the vehicle”
Source: 47 O.S. § 954A(G). Last checked .
Who regulates tow companies
The Corporation Commission handles complaints about rates charged for a nonconsensual tow. The complaint form is sent with a copy of the wrecker invoice; OCC Transportation Division phone (405) 522-0131.
Official text: “The Corporation Commission mediates and adjudicates complaints of rates charged for a nonconsensual tow in Oklahoma.”
Source: 47 O.S. § 966(C)(3); OCC Nonconsensual Tow Rate Complaint Form page. Last checked .
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