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.
Houston drivers deal with long freeway commutes, sudden flooding and a mix of city and state towing rules. This hub collects what to know and links to our full Houston towing guide and related cost pages.
Finding a towed car
The Houston Police Department directs owners to its tow line or to FindMyTowedCar.com, where you can search by plate or VIN and see where the car is stored. If the car isn’t listed, contact HPD; it may have been stolen or towed by another agency. Our impound lot guide covers what to bring to get it back.
Police and private-property tows
For non-consent tows, Houston publishes a city rate, and Texas regulates private-property tows and storage-facility fees through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). The details, with sources, are in the Houston guide and the tow truck cost guide. The city’s Motorist Bill of Rights also sets out what you can ask for at the scene, including choosing where the car goes. If you think a tow was wrong, you can request a tow hearing.
Freeway breakdowns and flooded roads
The regional Tow and Go program can move a stalled car off covered Houston freeways at no cost. Heavy rain is a separate risk: never drive into water on the road, and if your car has been in a flood, have it towed rather than trying to start it. Our Houston guide explains both.
Asking for a tow or roadside help in Houston
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 Houston, 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.
Houston towing guides on TowCars.com
- Towing in Houston: find a towed car, Tow and Go, hearings
- Tow truck cost guide (Texas and Houston rates)
- Impound lot guide
- Tow yard storage fee limits
- Do tow companies have to take credit cards?
Frequently asked questions
HPD directs owners to its tow line and to FindMyTowedCar.com, where you can search with your plate or VIN. Our Houston towing guide has the details.
Tow and Go is a regional program that can move a stalled vehicle off covered Houston freeways at no cost. See our Houston guide for what it covers.
Non-consent tows and many storage-facility fees are regulated by the city and by TDLR. A tow you arrange yourself is priced by the company you hire.
No. We pass your request to independent providers who set their own prices and do the work.
Need a tow or roadside help in Houston? Tell us what happened and where, and we’ll pass your request to independent providers who serve the area.