What to Do If Your Car Gets Towed in Las Vegas

1. Figure Out Why It Was Towed

There are three common scenarios in the Las Vegas valley, and each one sends you down a different path:

• Breakdown or accident on the road — Nevada Highway Patrol or Metro may have called a rotation tow company to clear the scene. Your vehicle is likely at that company's storage yard, not a city impound lot.
• Towed from private property (an apartment complex, casino lot, or HOA) — a property-authorized towing company removed it, usually for parking violations. These are "non-consent" tows regulated by the Nevada Transportation Authority (NTA). If you think the tow itself wasn't properly authorized, see our guide on avoiding predatory towing.
• Impounded by police — for issues like an expired registration, DUI arrest, or a warrant. This typically goes through a Metro or North Las Vegas PD-approved tow yard, and there may be a police hold before you can retrieve it. See the DUI/criminal impound section below — the process and timeline are meaningfully different from a standard tow.

2. Find Out Where Your Car Is

Start with whichever agency was on scene:

• Las Vegas Metro Police non-emergency line: (702) 828-3111
• Nevada Highway Patrol (Southern Command): (702) 486-4100, or dial *647 from any cell phone
• North Las Vegas PD non-emergency: (702) 633-9111
• Henderson PD non-emergency: (702) 267-4911

If it was towed from private property, check for posted signage at the lot — Nevada law requires the towing company's name and phone number to be posted at any lot where non-consent towing is enforced. See our Emergency Contacts page for a fuller list of numbers and when to use each one.

3. What You'll Need to Get It Back

• Valid, government-issued photo ID
• Proof of ownership: current registration, title, or a bill of sale with a duplicate title application
• Payment for towing and storage fees (cash or card, varies by company — ask before you arrive)
• If someone else is picking it up on your behalf, most yards require a notarized authorization or your presence by phone

Storage fees accrue daily, so the sooner you retrieve your vehicle, the less it costs. Yards are legally required to be reasonably accessible, but hours vary — call ahead.

4. If Your Car Was Towed as Part of a DUI Arrest or Other Police Impound

This is a meaningfully different situation from a standard tow. A few things to know:

• The vehicle is typically held for a minimum period set by the arresting agency, not the tow yard — the tow company generally can't release it early even if you show up with payment and ID.
• Contact the arresting agency directly (not the tow company) to confirm the hold status and when release becomes possible.
• If the vehicle is connected to an active criminal case, there may be an additional evidentiary hold beyond the standard impound period — ask specifically about this.
• Storage fees usually continue to accrue during the hold period, so the total cost by the time you can retrieve the vehicle can be substantial. Ask the tow yard for a running total if you're able to.

5. Know Your Rights Under Nevada Law

Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 706 governs tow car operators, and the Nevada Transportation Authority (NTA) regulates non-consent and consent towing statewide. A few protections worth knowing:

• Non-consent tow companies must be certificated by the NTA and are required to charge only NTA-approved rates.
• Companies must post required signage and cannot tow from private property without proper authorization from the property owner or manager.
• If you believe you were towed improperly or overcharged, you can file a complaint directly with the NTA.
• You can look up whether a company holds an active tow certificate through the NTA's public Active Certificates database.

6. If You Don't Retrieve Your Car in Time

Unclaimed vehicles don't stay at a tow yard indefinitely. If storage fees go unpaid and a vehicle remains unclaimed long enough, Nevada law allows tow yards to place a lien on the vehicle and eventually sell it at a lien sale or public auction to recover costs. If you can't immediately afford to retrieve your vehicle, contact the tow yard directly and ask about your specific timeline before assuming you have unlimited time — the clock is real, and it varies by company and circumstance.

7. If You Need a Tow, Not a Tow Yard

If your car broke down and you need to call a tow truck yourself — rather than track down where one already took your car — use a licensed, NTA-certificated company. Nevada Tow Connect lists verified Las Vegas-area providers with their NTA certificate numbers, service areas, and average response times, so you can compare options before you call.

Browse verified Las Vegas towing companies →

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