Corvallis, OR Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Pre-tow notice
- Posted 24 hours before tow
- Post-tow notice
- Mailed within 48 hours
- Hearing request window
- 5 business days
- Hearing scheduling
- Within 4 calendar days of request
- Unreclaimed vehicle sale
- After 30 days in custody
Summary
Corvallis Municipal Code Chapter 6.14 lets the Chief of Police have a vehicle towed for parking violations or unsafe driving, but requires 24-hour pre-tow notice in most cases, post-tow notice within 48 hours, and a hearing right before or after impoundment.
1)Any vehicle parked or left standing in violation of any City ordinance or regulation may be taken into custody by the Chief of Police and taken to a garage, parking lot, or other suitable place, and will be held at the expense of the owner or person entitled to possession of the vehicle. ... Before any vehicle is taken into custody by or at the request of the Chief of Police, notice must be issued to the legal owner and owner or persons entitled to possession of the vehicle by posting on the vehicle at least 24 hours before taking the vehicle into custody. The 24-hour period under this subsection includes holidays, Saturdays and Sundays. ... g)That the owner, possessor, or person having an interest in the vehicle is entitled to a hearing, before the vehicle is impounded, to contest the proposed custody and towing if a hearing is timely requested.
Full Breakdown
Corvallis Municipal Code Section 6.14.020 authorizes the Chief of Police to take into custody any vehicle parked or left standing in violation of a City ordinance or regulation, holding it at the owner's expense, and also lets an officer impound a vehicle where there is probable cause of DUII, driving while suspended or revoked, driving without privileges, or driving uninsured and a clear traffic-safety need exists. Before a routine parking-violation tow, Section 6.14.040 requires notice posted on the vehicle at least 24 hours in advance, stating the officer's name, the violation and legal authority, where the vehicle will be held, that towing and storage charges and a lien will attach, and that the owner is entitled to a hearing before impoundment if timely requested.
Exceptions in Section 6.14.060 let police tow immediately without that 24-hour notice for hazards, tow-away zones, fire hydrant blocking, or public-safety-related impoundments, but post-tow notice under Section 6.14.050 must still go out within 48 hours. Any person entitled to possession may request a hearing under Section 6.14.070 within five business days; the City Manager appoints a hearings officer who is not a Police Department employee, the hearing must be scheduled within four calendar days of the request, and the towing agency bears the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that the tow was lawful.
The towing company holds a possessory lien for towing and storage charges under Section 6.14.030, foreclosed under ORS 87.152 to 87.212, and an unreclaimed vehicle is sold after 30 days under Section 6.14.090.
Violations & Fines
A towing company or the City that fails to post the required 24-hour pre-tow notice under Section 6.14.040, or fails to send post-tow notice within 48 hours under Section 6.14.050, exposes the tow to being overturned at a Section 6.14.070 hearing, with the City required to satisfy towing and storage costs and release the lien if the impoundment is found improper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my car be towed in Corvallis without warning?
How do I contest a tow in Corvallis?
What happens to my car if I don't reclaim it after a Corvallis tow?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Corvallis
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