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Colorado Statewide Rule

Colorado Nonconsensual Towing Bill of Rights

Significant RestrictionsApplies statewide across Colorado (2026)

Key Facts

Drop fee once hooked up
$0, banned outright
Immediate-release payment
15% of fees, capped at $60
Personal contents retrieval window
30 days after mailed notice, unpaid or not
Windshield notice before towing
24 hours' written warning (8 exceptions)
Required lot signage
2 sq ft minimum, bilingual, 3-10 ft high
Photo evidence at hookup
4 angle photos, 2000x2000px minimum
Enforcement agency
Colorado PUC, hotline 303-894-2070
Last verified: September 1, 2026

Summary

Colorado's Towing Bill of Rights, C.R.S. 40-10.1-405, governs only nonconsensual ("predatory") tows that PUC-permitted towing carriers pull from private property and common parking areas; it does not reach a tow a peace officer orders or one a driver requests. Carriers may charge no drop fee once a vehicle is hooked up, must release it immediately if the owner pays 15% of the bill (capped at $60), and must hand back personal contents within 30 days even if towing fees stay unpaid. Most lots must give 24 hours' windshield notice before towing.

(5)(c) The towing carrier shall immediately retrieve a vehicle that has been nonconsensually towed or allow the authorized or interested person to retrieve the vehicle if: (I) The owner pays fifteen percent of the fees, not to exceed sixty dollars, owed the towing carrier for the nonconsensual tow; and (II) The authorized or interested person is not a lienholder or insurance company. ... (6) Releasing the vehicle upon request. ... (b) A towing carrier shall not assess a drop charge to release the vehicle after the vehicle is hooked up to the tow truck but before the vehicle is removed from the property. (c) If approached by an authorized or interested person before the vehicle is removed from private property, the towing carrier shall notify the authorized or interested person that the towing carrier is required to release the vehicle upon request of the authorized or interested person. (d) Upon request by the authorized or interested person, the towing carrier shall stop any tow in progress before the vehicle is removed from private property.

View official code

Full Breakdown

1 of title 40. 1-405(2)). 1-405(3)). 1-405(3)(c)). 1-405(3)(b)). 1-405(1)). 1-405(5)(a)-(b)). 1-405(9) exempts tows ordered by a peace officer and certain commercial real estate parking spaces from the entire section.

Violations & Penalties

A towing carrier that violates article 10.1, the towing statutes in title 38 or 42, or PUC rules forfeits any fee for that tow and must refund what it already collected (C.R.S. 40-10.1-406(1)(a)). Its noncompliance is an affirmative defense if the carrier later sues to collect towing fees, and within 48 hours of a violation finding the carrier must return the vehicle to where it was towed from, unless the owner prefers to retrieve it from storage or return isn't practical (406(1)(b)-(c)). An owner whose vehicle the carrier damaged, or whose losses trace to a statutory violation, can recover reasonable attorney fees once the carrier refuses to reimburse after demand (406(2)). Complaints go to the PUC's consumer affairs line, 303-894-2070, and the carrier must give a conspicuous written notice of that complaint right on the invoice, receipt, and bill (405(4)(e)).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a private lot charge me to release my car before it leaves the property?
No. Under C.R.S. 40-10.1-405(6)(b), once your vehicle is hooked up to the tow truck but hasn't left the property, the towing carrier cannot charge a drop fee to let it go. If you approach the driver first, the carrier must tell you it's required to release the vehicle on request and must stop the tow in progress.
How much do I have to pay to get my car back right away?
Under 40-10.1-405(5)(c), the carrier must immediately release your vehicle once you pay 15% of the fees owed, capped at $60, as long as you aren't a lienholder or insurance company. You sign the PUC's "Towed Vehicle Release Notice: Retrieval with Payment Owed" form; signing it does not waive your right to complain to the commission about the rest of the bill.
Does this law cover a tow the police order, or one I call myself?
No. Section 40-10.1-405(9) excludes any tow ordered by a peace officer, and the whole statute addresses only nonconsensual tows, meaning the carrier removed your vehicle without your permission. A tow you arrange yourself, or one an officer directs, falls outside these protections entirely.
What happens if the tow company breaks these rules?
Under C.R.S. 40-10.1-406, a carrier that violates the towing statute forfeits its fees for that tow and must refund whatever it collected. Noncompliance is also a defense if the carrier sues you for unpaid fees, the carrier must return your vehicle to where it was towed from within 48 hours of a violation finding, and you can recover attorney fees if the violation caused damages and the carrier refused reimbursement.

Sources

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