Police Hold Vehicles in Dallas — What It Means and What You Can Do

Texas regulates towing through a multi-layer framework involving the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), the Texas Transportation Code, and local ordinances in cities like Dallas and Fort Worth. Together, these create a set of rights for vehicle owners that many people don't know they have until they're in the middle of a dispute with a towing company.

The most important consumer protection in Texas towing law is the distinction between consent tows — tows you requested — and non-consent tows, which are authorized by property owners or law enforcement without your direct request. Non-consent tows are the most heavily regulated because they're the category most prone to abuse. Maximum rate schedules, mandatory signage requirements, and specific invoice requirements all apply exclusively to non-consent tows.

Texas law gives you the right to retrieve your vehicle at any time of day or night, including holidays. A towing company cannot refuse to release your vehicle outside of business hours — they must have a 24-hour retrieval option. Storage facilities are required to accept debit and credit cards since 2021. And they cannot charge you for storage time that accrued before you were notified the vehicle had been towed.

When you arrive to retrieve your vehicle, you're entitled to an itemized written invoice before you pay. If you believe any charge is incorrect or excessive, you can pay under protest — note 'paid under protest' on the receipt — and file a complaint with TDLR afterward without losing your right to the vehicle. You cannot be held to a verbal quote that later increases without your consent.

TDLR publishes maximum rates for non-consent towing in Texas that are updated periodically. As of the most recent update, the base hook fee for a light-duty non-consent tow in most Texas cities is capped, with per-mile rates, storage fees, and equipment charges each having their own limits. A towing company charging above these maximums on a non-consent tow is violating Texas law.

These rate caps do not apply to consent tows — tows you call and request. For consent towing, pricing is negotiated between the company and the customer. This is why it's important to ask for a quote before the tow begins on any consensual call. Reputable companies like NW Towing provide upfront pricing before dispatching, with no surprises on the final invoice.