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.
San Diego’s police tows follow a city fee schedule, while private-property tows follow California law. This hub explains the difference and links to our full San Diego tow fee guide.
If SDPD towed your car
City-ordered tows in San Diego are billed under a schedule that sets the tow fee by vehicle size and zone, plus a city cost-recovery fee and daily storage. Our San Diego guide lays out the current schedule with sources and explains why SDPD tows cars and how to get yours back.
Private-property tows
If you were towed from a private lot, different rules apply, including signage requirements and your right to get personal belongings back. See our San Diego guide, tow-away sign requirements and getting personal items from a towed car.
Contesting a tow
You can request a post-storage hearing for a police tow. Our California post-storage hearing guide explains the process, and our wrongful tow refund guide covers what to do if you were towed by mistake.
Asking for a tow or roadside help in San Diego
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 San Diego, 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.
San Diego towing guides on TowCars.com
- San Diego tow fees: what an SDPD impound costs
- Post-storage hearings in California
- Towed from an apartment complex lot
- California Move Over law
- Tow yard storage fee limits
Frequently asked questions
Our San Diego tow fee guide lists the current city schedule with links to the sources.
Yes, California law sets rules for private-property tows, including signs and access to personal property. Our guides explain them.
Request a post-storage hearing. Our California hearing guide explains the steps.
No. We pass your quote request to independent providers who serve the area.
Need a tow or roadside help in San Diego? Tell us what happened and where, and we’ll pass your request to independent providers who serve the area.