Car towed in Oregon? Start here
Free steps to find your car, protect your deadlines and ask for your money back in Oregon.
We checked 8 Oregon towing rules against official sources. Each one has its citation, a link and the date we checked it.
1. Find your car
- Portland Police: towed vehicles (links to the vehicle search) (Portland; Portland Police Bureau tows; for private-property tows, contact the tow company on the sign). 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
Ask for a hearing (public-authority tows): 5 business days, counted from mailing date of the tow notice.
Official text: “not more than five days from the mailing date of the notice. The five-day period in this section does not include holidays, Saturdays or Sundays.”
The calculator skips Saturdays and Sundays but counts holidays as days, which gives the earlier, safer date.
We haven't checked how Oregon 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: ORS 819.190. 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 Oregon rules we checked are below.
Key towing rules in Oregon
Hearings
For a tow by a public authority, you can ask in writing for a hearing within 5 days of the mailing date of the notice, not counting Saturdays, Sundays or holidays. If the tow is found invalid, the car is released, you owe no towing or storage charges, and charges you paid are reimbursed.
Official text: “not liable for any towing or storage charges”
Source: ORS 819.190. Last checked .
If the tow company wants to sell the car
Before a lien sale, the lien claimant must mail the owner notice at least 30 days before the sale (15 days for a tow or storage lien on a car appraised at $1,000 or less). Without proper notice, the claimant is liable for the car's fair market value plus attorney fees.
Official text: “the lien claimant is liable to the lien debtor for a sum equal to the fair market value of the chattel sold”
Source: ORS 87.192. Last checked .
Fees and caps
For a tow without your consent, the tow company may not charge more than the prices it must disclose in writing, or more than a city or county maximum.
Official text: “Charge more than a price disclosed under ORS 98.856”
Source: ORS 98.854(5)-(6), 98.856. Last checked .
Signs and permission to tow
Before towing from private property, the tow company must take at least one photo of the car as it was parked, with the date and time, keep it 2 years and give you a free copy on request. If you are there before hookup is complete, the car must be released free.
Official text: “a tower shall take at least one photograph of the motor vehicle”
Source: ORS 98.853. Last checked .
A tow company may not park a tow truck within 1,000 feet of a parking facility to watch it for towing business.
Official text: “1,000 feet or less from a parking facility for the purpose of monitoring the parking facility for towing business”
Source: ORS 98.854(7). Last checked .
Getting money back
Breaking these towing rules (ORS 98.853, 98.854, 98.856 or 98.858) is an unlawful trade practice. A person who loses money or property because of a willful violation can sue for actual damages or $200, whichever is more; punitive damages and attorney fees are possible. The suit must be filed within one year after discovering the violation.
Official text: “to recover actual damages or statutory damages of $200, whichever is greater”
Source: ORS 646.608(1)(ddd), 646.638. Last checked .
Who regulates tow companies
The Oregon State Board of Towing takes complaints about tow companies.
Source: Oregon State Board of Towing. Last checked .
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