San Diego's standard-duty tow, daily storage and TICR fees in the 2020, April 2024 and June 2025 SDPD schedules (urban-zone tow).
The short answer: For a city-ordered tow of a standard car, San Diego’s June 2025 SDPD fee schedule lists a $231 tow in urban zones ($243 in suburban zones), a $115 city cost-recovery fee and $65 per day of storage. Pick it up after one full day and you’re looking at about $411 before a gate fee, extra services or any tickets. Every extra day adds $65.
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San Diego’s impound page doesn’t list a tow price, and older fee lists online are out of date. We used the City’s towing operations manual and the June 2025 schedule KPBS linked as current in June 2026.
San Diego tow and impound fees (current schedule)
| Place and rule | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tow, standard-duty vehicle (under 9,500 lb GVW)The schedule lists urban zones 4, 5, 6 and 7 and suburban zones 1, 2, 3 and 8. Source: SDPD fee schedule, June 2025 | $231 urban zones / $243 suburban zones |
| Tow, medium-duty (9,500 to 22,000 lb)Source: SDPD fee schedule, June 2025 | $345 urban / $356 suburban |
| Tow, heavy-duty (over 22,000 lb)Source: SDPD fee schedule, June 2025 | $413 urban / $424 suburban |
| Storage, first 24 hoursHourly billing on day one stops at the daily rate. Source: SDPD fee schedule, June 2025 | $6 per hour, up to the daily rate |
| Storage, each daySource: SDPD fee schedule, June 2025 | $65 standard / $98 medium / $132 heavy |
| Tow/Impound Cost Recovery Fee (TICR)A city fee collected by the impound lot when the car is released. Source: SDPD fee schedule, June 2025, ops manual | $115 per vehicle |
| Gate fee (after-hours release)Inclusive of labor. Source: SDPD fee schedule, June 2025 | $50 per incident |
| Notification of stored vehicleSource: SDPD fee schedule, June 2025 | $25 per vehicle |
| Flatbed or dollies, if requiredSource: SDPD fee schedule, June 2025 | $47 |
| Mileage after the first 5 milesSource: SDPD fee schedule, June 2025 | $5.50 per mile (standard-duty) |
These are rates for City-initiated tows (SDPD and other city departments). The schedule does not say that every line appears on every bill, so ask AutoReturn for your itemized total before you go. CHP, county sheriff and other cities in San Diego County set their own rates.
What a typical bill looks like
Using the June 2025 rates for a standard car towed from an urban zone, with no extra services:
- Picked up 3 hours after it arrives: $231 tow + $115 TICR + $18 storage (3 hours at $6) = $364.
- Picked up after one full day: $231 + $115 + $65 = $411.
- Picked up after three days: $231 + $115 + $195 = $541.
- Same three days, released after hours: add the $50 gate fee = $591.
Add $12 for a suburban-zone tow, $47 if a flatbed or dollies were needed, and $5.50 a mile past the first 5 miles. The $25 notification fee is listed per vehicle on the schedule. Unpaid parking citations can also be due (SDPD fee schedule, June 2025).
Storage is the line that grows fastest. In a June 2026 story, KPBS described a San Diego man who was quoted $6,000 to get his car back after an expired-registration tow and never recovered it (KPBS). Our storage fees per day guide explains why picking up fast matters so much.
Why San Diego tows cost more than they used to
Compare the same lines across three versions of the City’s operations manual. The standard-duty tow was $178 in the 2020 manual and $196 in the April 2024 manual. The daily storage rate went from $38 to $45. The TICR fee went from $54 to $63 (2020 manual, April 2024 manual). The June 2025 schedule raised them to $231, $65 and $115. That puts a one-day release about 50% higher than in 2020.
Why SDPD tows cars
The city lists the common reasons for a car on city property: registration expired more than six months, a car left 72 hours without moving at least a tenth of a mile, parking against posted temporary or permanent signs, blocking a driveway after a complaint, parking that creates a hazard, or parking in a carpool lane (City of San Diego).
Registration is the biggest one. SDPD data obtained by KPBS showed nearly 30% of 2025 impounds were registration-related, and registrations expired more than six months led to 6,533 tows (KPBS).
How to get your car back in San Diego
- Find it. Search AutoReturn or call 619-527-4392. Have your name, plate or VIN, and make and model. Not listed? Call SDPD non-emergency at 619-531-2000. A private-property tow won’t be in city records, so look for the tow company on the lot’s signs.
- Bring ID. The registered owner must show identification, and a valid driver’s license is required (City of San Diego).
- Check the invoice. Storage facilities must give you an itemized invoice. Compare each line with the table above, or run it through our tow bill checker.
- Get your things if you can’t pay yet. California law lets you retrieve personal property during business hours at no charge (Know Your Towing Rights). See how to get your belongings from a towed car.
Watch: How much does a tow truck cost? (2026)
Your rights after a private-property tow in San Diego
The City Attorney and SDPD publish a plain-English list of state rules for tows from lots open to the public (Know Your Towing Rights):
- One-hour rule. A property owner generally can’t have you towed within one hour of parking, with exceptions for fire lanes, disabled spaces, tenant spaces, hydrants and blocked entrances (CVC 22953).
- Catch it before it leaves. If you return before the truck leaves the lot, the driver must release the car immediately and can’t demand payment on the spot. The company may later charge up to half the regular tow fee (CVC 22658(g), (h)). Our drop fee guide covers this by state.
- Signs. A sign at least 17 by 22 inches with 1-inch letters must warn of towing and list the police phone number, with some exceptions. See our tow-away sign requirements.
- Distance and hours. The car must go to a lot within 10 miles unless police approve otherwise, and the lot must be open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and release cars after hours.
- Price cap and cards. No charging more than local law-enforcement rates, and valid credit cards must be accepted.
- Remedies. You can sue for up to four times the towing and storage fees, or file in Small Claims for up to $12,500.
Towed from your own apartment complex? Read towed from apartment complex parking.
How to contest an SDPD tow
You can request a post-storage hearing under CVC 22852. Call SDPD Tow Administration at 858-495-7830, or mail back the notice you received, within 10 days of the mailed notice. The hearing is held by phone, and the city says you’ll hear whether the tow was valid within 48 hours, not counting weekends and holidays (City of San Diego).
If the tow is found invalid, the City pays the tow and storage fees, and refunds are handled by the Public Liability Division at 619-236-6670. If it’s found valid and you still disagree, the city points you to a Public Liability Form or San Diego Small Claims Court. Our wrongful tow refund tool walks you through the paperwork.
Plan your next step: compare cities in our most expensive places to get towed report, see what a tow you call yourself costs with the tow cost calculator and our tow truck cost guide, or read the full impound lot guide. Comparing California cities? See San Francisco tow fees and towing in Los Angeles.
Stuck right now? Send a quick free quote request and we’ll connect you with an independent local tow provider. Ask for the full price before they dispatch.
Get a free quoteIndependent providers set their own prices. We don’t tow or store vehicles.
FAQ
How much does it cost to get a towed car out in San Diego?
For a city-ordered tow of a standard car, the June 2025 SDPD fee schedule lists a $231 tow (urban zones) or $243 (suburban zones), a $115 TICR fee and $65 per day of storage. A car picked up after one full day of storage starts around $411 in an urban zone, before any gate fee, extra services or unpaid citations.
How do I find out if my car was towed in San Diego?
Search AutoReturn at search.autoreturn.com or call AutoReturn at 619-527-4392. You will need your name, plate or VIN and the make and model. If the car is not listed, call the SDPD non-emergency line at 619-531-2000. Private-property tows are not in city records.
Can I get my tow fees back if SDPD towed my car wrongly?
You can ask for a post-storage hearing under CVC 22852. Call Tow Administration at 858-495-7830 or mail back the notice within 10 days of the mailed notice; the city says you’ll get a decision within 48 hours, not counting weekends and holidays. If the tow is found invalid, the City pays the fees and refunds go through the Public Liability Division at 619-236-6670.
Can a private tow company in San Diego charge more than the city rates?
No. The city’s Know Your Towing Rights page says storage facilities cannot charge more than the rates set by law enforcement in the area, under CVC 22658(i)(1)(A), and must give you an itemized invoice.
Rules and rates change; verify with SDPD Tow Administration or AutoReturn before you pay. We checked these figures against the sources below on October 26, 2026. The newest rate schedule we could find is dated June 11, 2025. This is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- City of San Diego: Vehicle impounds and towing
- City of San Diego: Know Your Towing Rights
- SDPD Managed Towing Operations Manual, Appendix 3 fee schedule, version dated June 11, 2025 (PDF linked by KPBS)
- City of San Diego: Tow Administration Unit Operations Manual, April 2024 (PDF)
- City of San Diego: Tow Administration Unit Operations Manual, 2020 (PDF)
- KPBS: Expired registration still number one reason for tows (June 29, 2026)
- California Vehicle Code 22658
- California Vehicle Code 22852
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