Guide
Colorado towing laws, in plain English
Colorado tightened the rules on tows from private lots in 2022. If your car was towed without your say-so, you have more rights than most people know, and the state caps what the company may charge.
One local towing company gives its name and the total first. Your rights · Who pays us
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Who regulates towing
Colorado doesn't issue a towing license. Instead, every towing company needs a towing carrier permit from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. The PUC also sets the maximum rates for tows the owner didn't ask for and takes complaints. When a company calls you back, ask for its PUC permit number.
What HB22-1314 changed
The law took effect on August 10, 2022. For a tow from private property, a towing company has to:
- Get the property owner's authorization before the tow.
- Photograph the car and the reason for the tow before hooking up. If it can't produce those photos, the law presumes the company caused any damage or that the tow wasn't authorized.
- Give 24 hours of written notice before towing from an assigned spot or common area at an apartment complex or condo, or a mobile home park, with some exceptions.
- Notify the state, plus the owner and any lender, within 10 days, and charge no more than $75 for that notice.
- Take cash and major credit cards, and give an itemized bill on request.
- Post the PUC's maximum rates and how to complain, at its business and on its website.
It also can't charge storage for days it didn't store the car. Beyond the first 24 hours, it can't charge storage until the notice goes out. And it can't tow a car just for expired tags on the rear plate unless a police officer orders it.
Getting your car or your things back
Within 30 days of the notice, you can take the car or its contents by paying the lesser of 15% of the fees owed or $60 and signing a form that says you still owe the balance. After those 30 days, the company may be able to sell the car, so act fast.
When a company breaks the rules
A company that breaks these rules can't collect or keep its fees and must refund what it took. Violations are also a deceptive trade practice that the attorney general can enforce. File a complaint with the PUC and keep your receipts and photos.
| What | Public number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tow from private property you did not ask for (vehicle of 10,000 lbs or less) | Up to $250.91 PUC maximum in the table effective March 15, 2026, plus capped mileage ($5.15 a loaded mile at most in October 2026). The PUC adjusts it every year. | Colorado PUC |
| You reach the car after it is hooked up, before it leaves (commercial lot) | Up to $97.70 drop charge From a residential lot, such as an apartment complex, the company can't charge a drop fee at all. | Colorado PUC |
| Storage after a private-property tow | Up to $48.19 per 24 hours Prorated by the hour, and only the first 24 hours until the required notice is sent. | Colorado PUC; HB22-1314 |
| Your belongings from a car towed from a residential lot | No charge Ask within 30 days of the tow notice. | Colorado PUC |
| Getting your belongings or the car out before paying in full | 15% of the bill or $60, whichever is less You sign a form that you still owe the rest. Ask within 30 days of the notice. | HB22-1314 |
Questions Denver drivers ask
Can a tow company charge a drop fee in Colorado?
Not for a tow from residential private property since August 10, 2022, according to the PUC. Rules for other property can differ, so ask the PUC if you were charged one.
Sources
- Colorado General Assembly, HB22-1314 Towing Carrier Nonconsensual Tows (signed June 7, 2022) (checked October 28, 2026)
- Colorado Public Utilities Commission, Towing (permits, consumer rights, complaints) (checked October 28, 2026)
- Colorado PUC, Towing rates (maximum rates for nonconsensual tows, table effective March 15, 2026) (checked October 28, 2026)
- Colorado General Assembly, HB24-1051 Towing Carrier Regulation (checked October 28, 2026)