What Happens If I Don't Pick Up My Towed Car in Dallas in Time?

If you believe a towing company has violated Texas law — by overcharging, failing to provide an invoice, refusing to release your vehicle, or towing without proper authorization — you can file a complaint with TDLR online at tdlr.texas.gov. TDLR investigators have authority to fine companies, suspend licenses, and require reimbursement to consumers in substantiated cases.

For disputes over amounts less than $10,000, Texas small claims court (Justice of the Peace Court) is an accessible and relatively fast venue. Document everything: photographs of any signage at the tow location, your invoice, any communications with the company, and bank records showing payment. Texas courts have consistently ruled in favor of consumers in cases where towing companies violated documented procedural requirements.

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.