Car towed in Vermont? Start here
Free steps to find your car, protect your deadlines and ask for your money back in Vermont.
We checked 6 Vermont towing rules against official sources. Each one has its citation, a link and the date we checked it.
1. Find your car
- Burlington Police non-emergency line: towed-vehicle questions go to the Parking Department (Burlington; Phone (802) 658-2704, press 1 for Parking (645 Pine Street), for cars that may have been towed in Burlington.). 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
Reclaim an abandoned car in the DMV process (show ownership and pay towing/storage): 21 days, counted from date the DMV sends the second notice.
Official text: “Within 21 days after sending the second notice, the last known registered owner or lienholder may reclaim and retrieve the motor vehicle”
We haven't checked how Vermont 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: 23 V.S.A. § 2154(a)(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 Vermont rules we checked are below.
Key towing rules in Vermont
If the tow company wants to sell the car
Once the landowner files the abandoned-vehicle form, the DMV must send notice to the last registered owner and lienholder by certified mail within three business days, and a second notice by first-class mail if the receipt is not returned within seven business days.
Official text: “The notice shall be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested”
Source: 23 V.S.A. § 2154(a)(2). Last checked .
Fees and caps
For towing an abandoned vehicle from private property, Vermont law allows a reasonable towing fee. No storage fee may be charged for the time before the abandoned-vehicle certification form is sent to the DMV.
Official text: “no fee may be charged for storage for any period preceding the date upon which the form for abandoned motor vehicle certification is sent to the Department”
Source: 23 V.S.A. § 2155. Last checked .
For towing an abandoned vehicle from public property under the abandoned-vehicle law, a towing service may charge up to $125.00.
Official text: “A towing service may charge a fee of up to $125.00 for towing an abandoned motor vehicle from public property”
Source: 23 V.S.A. § 2158(a). Last checked .
Signs and permission to tow
Under Vermont's abandoned-vehicle law, a car with valid plates counts as abandoned after more than 48 hours on public or private property without the property owner's consent (any time if it has no valid plate or police asked for its removal).
Official text: “for more than 48 hours without the consent of the owner or person in control of the property”
Source: 23 V.S.A. § 2151. Last checked .
A landowner who removes, or has a towing service remove, an abandoned vehicle from private property must immediately notify the local police and give the plate number, VIN if available, and the make, model and color.
Official text: “shall immediately notify the police agency in the jurisdiction from which the vehicle is removed”
Source: 23 V.S.A. § 2152(b)(2). Last checked .
Who regulates tow companies
Vermont has no statewide tow-rate schedule. The Vermont AG's January 2024 report to the Legislature says tow operators set their own rates, apart from the $125 public-property limit and the 'reasonable' standard for private lots.
Official text: “Tow operators set their own rates (with the exception of a $125 limit on towing from public spaces”
Source: Vt. Attorney General, Report to the Legislature on Towing Practices (Jan. 30, 2024). Last checked .
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