In Massachusetts, police and private property owners can have vehicles towed if they are illegally parked or abandoned. You may have to pay high towing and storage fees to get your vehicle back after it’s been towed, so you need to know your rights.
- Massachusetts towing laws allow for police and private property owners to tow vehicles that are illegally parked or abandoned.
- Fees associated with police-ordered or other tows range from towing and storage fees to administrative and transfer charges.
- If your car gets towed in Massachusetts, you have certain rights, including the right to a quick hearing and to pay tow and storage fees by credit card.
Massachusetts towing laws for police
Massachusetts state law allows the state police to tow your vehicle when:
- The vehicle was stolen or taken without the owner’s consent
- The vehicle is disabled and obstructing traffic and/or is an obvious hazard to public safety
- The operator of the vehicle is arrested and the vehicle would be left unattended on a public way
- The vehicle is improperly parked or standing in violation of a state or municipal law or regulation
- The vehicle is not validly registered or insured
- The vehicle, in its current condition, is too hazardous or dangerous to be driven
- Adverse weather conditions or other emergency reasons require the removal of the vehicle
There might be more reasons why law enforcement might tow your vehicle, but these are the big ones. If your vehicle is towed by the police, it will be taken to an impound lot.
The bottom line: Police may only tow your vehicle if it’s parked illegally or has been abandoned, or in certain emergency circumstances, like inclement weather.
How to get your car out of an impound lot in Massachusetts
If your vehicle is taken to an impound lot, make sure you recover it within 30 calendar days. After this, the vehicle will go to auction and you won’t be able to get it back.
Call the impound lot as soon as you can after your vehicle is towed to get instructions for recovery. If you’re the registered owner of the vehicle, you should be able to get the vehicle back by showing up during normal business hours and providing:
- Any fees that might be due
- The vehicle’s license plate number
- The vehicle’s insurance information
- Your driver’s license
If you’re not the towed vehicle’s owner, you should still be able to recover the vehicle with the above items.
It should be simple to get your car back from the impound lot—should be. More often than not, fees complicate the recovery of a vehicle and can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Fees include:
- Towing fees
- Daily storage fees
- Administrative fees
- Transfer charge fees
- After-hours fees, lien charges, and auction fees (when applicable)
Massachusetts towing laws for private property owners
Private property towing laws are covered by Section 120D of Massachusetts law.
This law mandates that a property owner or their agent must provide written notice to the chief of police or their designee that they are going to tow a vehicle. The property owner must also expressly forbid you from parking there, either verbally or by displaying tow away signs.
If a property owner doesn’t follow the above criteria, they are subject to a fine of up to $100.
Once your vehicle is towed, it must be stored in a convenient location—that means you won’t have to travel 20 miles, for example, to get your car back.
Massachusetts towing laws for parking lots
Parking lot tows follow the same laws as those that govern tows from private property. Your vehicle can also be towed from a parking lot if:
- The vehicle is illegally parked
- The vehicle has five or more overdue parking tickets
You can check your driving record to see if you have any outstanding tickets through the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
Know your rights if your car gets towed in Massachusetts
If your car is towed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for any reason, you have certain protections under Massachusetts general laws. Your rights include:
- A walk-in hearing within five days of your tow
- The right to have your car taken off the tow truck if you show up before the tow is completed
- The right to pay be credit card
If your vehicle has been towed, call the tow company right away for more details and instructions. You can find this information on a sign posted on the private property your vehicle was towed from, or from the local police department if the police had your vehicle towed.
All Massachusetts private tow companies are regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. If you think you’ve been wrongly towed, you can file a complaint with the state.
FAQ
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What is the maximum towing fee in Massachusetts?
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Can a landlord tow your car without notice in Massachusetts?
Cassandra Hamilton is an insurance writer with experience creating content for a variety of industries. Cassandra’s mission is to create clear and concise content that drivers can use to save money on car-related expenses. Though most of the over 500 articles Cassandra has written for Jerry focus on car maintenance and repair topics, her expertise ranges across all things to do with vehicle ownership and insurance. Prior to joining Jerry, Cassandra worked in retail management while pursuing bachelor’s degrees in mass communications and theatre.
Jessica Barrett is a senior insurance writer and editor with 10 years of experience in the automotive and travel industries. A specialist in car insurance, car loans, and car ownership, Jessica’s mission is to create comprehensive content that car owners can use to manage their costs and improve their lives. As a managing editor for a team of writers and insurance specialists, Jessica has edited over 2,000 articles for Jerry on topics ranging from local insurance shopping tips to refinancing car loans with bad credit. Before joining Jerry as a senior content editor in 2021, Jessica created visual content for clients such as Expedia, Vivid Seats, Budget Direct Car Insurance, Angie’s List, and HomeAdvisor. Her content was published in Business Insider, Forbes, Apartment Therapy, and the BBC.
