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Georgia Statewide Rule

Georgia Nonconsensual Towing Rate and Storage Caps

Significant RestrictionsApplies statewide across Georgia (2026)

Key Facts

Removal fee cap
$228 to $1,105 by vehicle weight class
Daily storage cap
$33 to $98, plus $60-$100 for EVs
First 24 hours
No storage fee whatsoever
Pre-hook recovery
No fee if owner stops tow before hooking
Post-hook operator fee
Capped at $130 or $195 only
Signage rule
Signs required within 50 feet of entrances
Enforcing agency
DPS Motor Carrier Compliance Division, NCT permit
Last verified: September 1, 2026

Summary

Georgia caps what private-property tow companies can charge under DPS Rule 570-38-7-.13 and Statewide Maximum Rate Tariff No. 5. Removal fees top out at $228 for vehicles under 10,000 lb, rising to $585 per unit for the heaviest trucks. Storage is free for the first 24 hours, and owners who stop a tow before the vehicle is hooked pay nothing at all.

(5) No towing and storage firm performing nonconsensual towing services shall charge a rate higher than the rates prescribed by the Department's maximum rate tariff for any such services. A towing and storage firm that violates this rule is subject to adverse action pursuant to Rule 570-38-1-.09. (6) No towing and storage firm shall charge or collect a storage fee or a fee that is effectively a storage fee: (a) for the first 24-hour period from the time a motor vehicle is removed from private property; (b) for any day on which the impound lot where a vehicle is stored is closed or the vehicle is otherwise unavailable to the vehicle owner for redemption; or (c) once the vehicle has been claimed and payment is tendered to the towing and storage firm in the amount specified on the receipt and the vehicle has been removed from the impound facility. (7) The fees stated in the maximum rate tariff shall be all inclusive. No additional fees may be charged for the use of dollies, trailers, lifts, slim jims or any other equipment or service.

View official code

Full Breakdown

§ 44-1-13 and § 40-1-8(c)(1). 13 bars every permitted firm from charging more than the Department's Statewide Maximum Rate Tariff No. 5, effective June 17, 2024. 00 for a heavy combination unit. 00 if a damaged EV needs an isolation barrier. 13(6) forbids any storage charge for the first 24 hours after removal, for any day the lot is closed, or after the vehicle has been redeemed and payment tendered. 00 at or above it, with no storage charge. 14, posted within 50 feet of every entrance, is a prerequisite to a lawful tow; residential lots of four units or fewer are exempt. 17.

Violations & Penalties

Charging above Tariff No. 5, in the removal, storage, notification, or operator-fee categories, exposes a towing and storage firm to adverse action under Rule 570-38-1-.09. Under Rule 570-38-7-.13(9), DPS can go further and bar a firm found in violation of the tariff, O.C.G.A. § 44-1-13, or Title 40 Chapter 1 from collecting any nonconsensual towing fees for tows occurring during that violation, cutting off its revenue on every disputed job at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Georgia tow company charge whatever it wants for a private-property tow?
No. DPS Rule 570-38-7-.13 caps every fee at the Statewide Maximum Rate Tariff No. 5 rate, currently $228.00 to $1,105.00 for removal and $33.00 to $98.00 per day for storage depending on the vehicle's weight class. Charging above the tariff exposes the firm to adverse action under Rule 570-38-1-.09, and DPS can bar a repeat violator from collecting any nonconsensual towing fees at all.
What happens if I catch the tow truck before it leaves with my car?
The outcome turns on how far the tow has progressed. If your vehicle has not yet been hooked or loaded, Rule 570-38-7-.16(1) entitles you to get it back for free once you produce the ignition key. If it is already hooked or loaded but still on the property, Rule 570-38-7-.16(2) permits only a capped operator's fee: $130.00 under 20,000 lb GVWR or $195.00 at or above it, with no storage charge added.
Does every parking lot in Georgia have to post tow-warning signs?
Every commercial lot does. Rule 570-38-7-.14 requires signs within 50 feet of each entrance, at least 12 by 18 inches, stating the towing firm's name, phone number, impound location, and fees. Rule 570-38-7-.14(6) bars towing a vehicle from a lot that lacked compliant signage for the 24 hours before the tow. Residential properties with four units or fewer are exempt from the posting requirement entirely.
How long can a Georgia towing company hold my car before it's treated as abandoned?
Thirty days. After that point, Georgia's abandoned motor vehicle process under O.C.G.A. Title 40, Chapter 11 takes over from the towing rules. Before then, DPS Rule 570-38-7-.17 requires the impound lot to staff an on-site attendant during business hours, five days a week plus four hours on a sixth day, and answer a phone line around the clock so owners can retrieve a vehicle.

Sources

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