Car towed in Rhode Island? Start here

1. Find your car

• Providence Police non-emergency line: (401) 272-3121, dial 0, to learn which tow company has the car (Providence; cars towed in Providence (have the registration number, make and model); by phone). 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

• Claim the car or file a complaint before the tow company can start the lien sale (abandoned or unattended cars): 30 days, counted from date the tow company mailed its first notice.

  Official text: “if no claim is filed and the vehicle is not claimed and possession retaken or arranged for within thirty (30) days of the mailing of the notice, the lien will be foreclosed and the vehicle will be sold at public auction”

  We haven't checked how Rhode Island 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: R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-12.1-4(b)(8). Last checked October 5, 2026.

• Reclaim the car before the auction (after the tow company's final notice): 10 days, counted from date the final (foreclosure) notice was mailed.

  Official text: “within ten (10) days of the mailing of the notice, the lien will be foreclosed and the vehicle will be sold at public auction”

  We haven't checked how Rhode Island 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: R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-12.1-8(a)(4). 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 Rhode Island rules we checked are below.

Key towing rules in Rhode Island

If the tow company wants to sell the car

• After towing an abandoned or unattended car, the tow company must tell the local police within 2 hours and send the registered owner and lienholders a notice by registered mail within 14 days. The notice must say the owner can file a complaint with the state to contest the tow, and that the car will be sold if not claimed within 30 days of the notice.

  Official text: “shall notify within fourteen (14) days thereof, by registered mail, return receipt requested, the last-known registered owner”

  Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-12.1-4. Last checked October 5, 2026.

• If the car is still unclaimed after 30 days, the tow company sends a second registered-mail notice with the auction date; the car can be sold if it is not claimed within 10 days of that mailing. Charges above the sale price remain owed by the owner.

  Official text: “within ten (10) days of the mailing of the notice, the lien will be foreclosed and the vehicle will be sold at public auction”

  Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-12.1-8. Last checked October 5, 2026.

Signs and permission to tow

• A property owner may have a trespassing car towed only by hiring a state-certificated tow company in writing. The impound lot must be within 10 miles of where the car was taken and open to release cars during the same hours it takes them in.

  Official text: “the impoundment lot shall be within ten (10) miles of the point of removal”

  Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-12.1-12(a), (c). Last checked October 5, 2026.

Getting money back

• If the owner proves in court that the car was not actually trespassing, the property owner who ordered the tow bears the charges. The owner first pays the tow company in full and then goes to court.

  Official text: “the charges shall be borne by the owner or person in control of the property who ordered the towing”

  Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-12.1-12. Last checked October 5, 2026.

Who regulates tow companies

• Rhode Island's Division of Public Utilities and Carriers approves the rates for tows done without the owner's consent and investigates complaints about charges (Motor Carrier Section, 401-941-4500).

  Official text: “Complaints regarding charges are investigated by the Division.”

  Source: R.I. Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, Motor Carriers; R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-12.1-15. Last checked October 5, 2026.