Disclaimer: TowCars.com is a nationwide towing information and referral service. We don’t tow, dispatch, or store vehicles, and we aren’t responsible for the work, prices, or conduct of any towing company. If you send us a request, we pass it to independent providers who set their own prices and terms. See our disclosure.
Los Angeles has more towing rules than most cities, because state law, city ordinances and the Los Angeles Police Department all play a part. This page is a starting point: it sums up what to know and points you to our detailed LA guides, from finding a towed car to getting free help on the freeway.
If your car was towed by police
In the City of Los Angeles, police-directed tows go to Official Police Garages (OPGs), and you can search for your car by plate or VIN on the OPGLA website. Storage is charged daily, so moving quickly matters. Our Los Angeles towing guide covers how to find the car, the current OPG rate table, 30-day holds and how to ask for a hearing.
The legal reasons police can tow are set out in the California Vehicle Code. Read when police can tow your car under CVC 22651, and if you think the tow was wrong, see how post-storage hearings work. Owners whose car was held for 30 days because of an unlicensed or suspended driver have their own process, explained in our CVC 14602.6 guide.
Parking rules that lead to tows
Many LA tows start with parking. Leaving a car in one spot on a public street too long can bring a tow under the 72-hour rule, and temporary no-parking signs for filming or work crews come with their own notice rules. Unpaid tickets and expired registration can also lead to a tow, and California has strict timelines before a stored car can be sold to cover the bill.
Broken down on an LA freeway
On covered LA County freeways, the Metro Freeway Service Patrol offers free help during service hours. Our guide explains what it can and can’t do. California’s Move Over law also protects stopped vehicles and tow trucks, so give them room when you pass.
Asking for a tow or roadside help in Los Angeles
If you need a tow you are choosing yourself, rather than one ordered by police or a property owner, the price is set by the company you hire, not by a city schedule. Before you agree to anything in Los Angeles, ask for the total in writing, including mileage, after-hours charges and any fee for dollies or winching, and decide where the car goes. Our tow truck cost guide explains each part of a quote and the tow cost calculator gives a ballpark range. If someone arrives at a breakdown or crash without being called, you don’t have to use them; see how to choose a tow company and avoid towing scams.
When you send a request, include the exact location (cross streets, freeway direction and nearest exit, or garage level), the year, make and model, whether the car rolls and steers, whether it is AWD or electric, and where you want it taken. Those details decide which truck a provider sends and make quotes easier to compare. If your car was towed rather than broken down, you don’t need a new tow: start with the steps above and our impound lot guide.
Not sure what kind of help to ask for? Our towing services pages explain flatbed towing, jump starts, lockouts and more.
Los Angeles towing guides on TowCars.com
- Towing in Los Angeles: find a towed car and impound rules
- LA tow company directory
- Metro Freeway Service Patrol
- When police can tow your car (CVC 22651)
- Post-storage hearings in California
- The 72-hour parking rule
- California Move Over law
Frequently asked questions
In the City of Los Angeles, police-directed tows go to Official Police Garages. You can search for a towed car by plate or VIN on the OPGLA website. Our Los Angeles towing guide explains the process.
The Metro Freeway Service Patrol offers free help on covered LA County freeways during service hours. Our guide explains what it covers.
California law gives owners the right to a post-storage hearing for many police tows. Our guide to post-storage hearings explains how and when to ask for one.
No. TowCars.com is a referral service. We pass your quote request to independent providers who set their own prices and do the work.
Need a tow or roadside help in Los Angeles? Tell us what happened and where, and we’ll pass your request to independent providers who serve the area.