The short answer: Official city tow fees we checked range from $90 (Boston’s city lot) to $317 plus a $385 admin fee (San Francisco), before storage. Storage runs from $15 a day in Boston to $50 a day in Chicago. Every number below links to the official page it came from.
| Place | Tow fee | Storage | Other fees | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City NYPD tow pound | $185 (heavy duty $370) | $20 per night if not redeemed same day | Boot $185 | Official source Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
| Chicago City tow (vehicles under 8000 lb) | $250 ($350 at 8000 lb+) | $50 per day ($100 at 8000 lb+); $1500 max | Boot $100 | Official source Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
| San Francisco SFMTA tow | $317 | First 4 hours free, then $69 first day, $82 each later day | Admin fee $385 ($335 first tow); dolly $56 | Official source Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
| Boston City of Boston tow lot | $90 | $3 per hour, up to $15 per day | 2.5% card fee | Official source Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
| Massachusetts Police-ordered or private-property tow (state max) | $132 | $35 per 24 hours | – | Official source Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
| Washington, DC DPW impound | $100 ($275 oversized) | $20 per day if not picked up within 24 hours | Boot $75 | Official source Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
| Nashville Metro police impound (7000 lb GVWR or less) | $225 | $40 per day | $10 fuel charge | Official source Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
| Seattle Police-authorized impound (Class A) | $297 north zone / $263 south zone | First 12 hours free, then $22 (north) / $19 (south) per 12 hours | City admin fee $35 | Official source Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
| Phoenix Police impound (ARS 28-3511) | Set by the tow company | Up to $25 per day (state cap) | City admin fee $150 | Official source Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
| Houston Standard police tow rate | $232 | – | – | Official source Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
| Denver City impound lot (under 6000 lb) | $120 ($170 over 6000 lb) | $20 per day ($30 over 6000 lb) | – | Official source Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
| Colorado Private-property impound, up to 10000 lb (state max) | $250.91 | $48.19 per 24 hours | Drop charge $97.70 | Official source Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
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How to read this table
These are fees for city or police tows unless the row says otherwise. Private-property tows often follow different state caps. Fees change, so confirm on the source page before you pay. If a bill is higher than the posted rate, our tow bill checker and wrongful tow refund guide can help. To estimate your total, try the impound release cost estimator.
Only figures we could confirm on an official government page are listed. More cities are added as we verify them. Related: tow yard storage fees per day, drop fees by state.
