Louisiana Private Property Tows: Tag or Sign First, and PSC Rates Cap the Bill

Louisiana splits the job between two authorities. R.S. 32:1736, part of the Louisiana Towing and Storage Act, sets the conduct rules for pulling a car off private property. The Louisiana Public Service Commission sets the money. R.S. 32:1736(D) provides that all fees for the nonconsensual towing of a vehicle from private property or parking areas shall be uniform and shall be set in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission, and the current figures come from the LPSC General Order in Docket R-35595 dated December 20, 2024, as adjusted by the annual Producer Price Index letter effective April 1, 2026.

The authorization rule in subsection B is the one most Louisiana drivers never hear about. A tow truck operator may not tow from a parking area unless law enforcement authorized the tow or the vehicle has been tagged for removal. Tagging is defined in subsection A(4) as placing a highly visible sticker or similar tag in a conspicuous place on the vehicle, containing the date, the time, the name of the tow company authorized to remove it, and the printed name and signature of the property owner or his authorized representative. The tag must be clearly visible to drivers of passing vehicles and must not damage or alter the vehicle's appearance. Subsection A(1) then closes the obvious abuse: an authorized representative shall not be a tow truck owner or operator, so the tow company cannot authorize its own tow.

There are two ways around the tag. The property owner may sign the billing invoice before the vehicle is towed, or the property may satisfy the signage requirements of subsection C. Those requirements are detailed. Signs go in clearly visible locations at the entrances and exits warning that unauthorized vehicles may be towed. If only specific parking areas or spaces are subject to towing, those areas or the individual spaces must also be clearly marked. Where the property owner has a contract with a tow company, the signage must include the name, address, and phone number of the towing company in lettering no less than two inches in height. A copy of the written contract must be kept at the property owner's business office, at the tow company's business office, and inside the tow truck. The contract must define the parking rules and the reasons for towing, be dated and signed by all parties, list telephone numbers for both sides, and state both the starting date and the specific termination date of the towing service. Tow truck owners and drivers are made responsible for confirming the property is properly marked before removing any vehicle.

The Commission's schedule prices a private property tow as a flat rate rather than an hourly charge with mileage. Effective April 1, 2026 the light duty flat rate is $152.50, rising to $186.00 only when repositioning equipment, a fold down light bar, or an additional operator is required and the tow company documents why. Medium duty is $335.00 flat and heavy duty is $430.50 flat. Storage is charged per calendar day: $34.00 outside, $40.50 covered, and $61.50 oversize. A gate fee, which R.S. 32:1734(C) defines as a charge for releasing a towed vehicle before or after normal business hours, is capped at $64.50. Normal business hours are fixed by statute at 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.

Getting your belongings out is free during those hours. R.S. 32:1734(D) prohibits any charge for the retrieval of contents from a stored or towed vehicle during normal business hours, and the Commission caps the after hours retrieval fee at $64.50. The storage clock also has an end: R.S. 32:1728(A)(3) provides that the towing, storage, or parking facility shall not charge for storage past the ninetieth day from the original date of storage or the adjusted storage date. Administrative fees for filing the Official Report of Stored Vehicle are capped at $36.00 for in-state notifications and $42.00 for out-of-state, plus postage and $5.00 per required letter.

One protection Louisiana does not provide is a drop fee. Neither R.S. 32:1736 nor the Commission's schedule fixes a reduced charge for an owner who reaches the vehicle after it is hooked but before the truck leaves, and neither requires the operator to release it. What the schedule does require is disclosure at the scene: every towing company must hand the owner or driver a written notice stating that the tow is non-consensual, that rates are set by Commission order, and that complaints go to the LPSC Transportation Division at 1-888-342-5717.

Overcharging is the enforcement centerpiece. S. 32:1736(D), if the operator charges any fee in excess of the uniform fee, the vehicle owner has a right and cause of action to recover the amount of the excess fee, storage costs if applicable, reasonable attorney fees, and all court costs. S. 32:1734(B) gives the same recovery for an excessive gate fee and 32:1734(D) for an improper contents retrieval fee. The Commission adds its own remedy: it may order a refund of up to 200 percent of any overcharge, and a complainant does not have to pay the towing invoice first to have standing to complain.

Filing a written complaint also stops the meter, because storage fees do not accrue beyond the date of the complaint and are not charged at all if the Commission finds the charges excessive or the company pleads guilty. Invoices must be itemized line by line, must show the time of dispatch and the time the company unhooked from the vehicle, and must be given at release or on request whether or not the bill is paid. S. S. 4, subject to any applicable penalty including revocation of the towing license, and lack of knowledge of an employee's conduct is not a defense for the company owner.

S. S. 32:1720 is mailed, and the agency must hold it within three business days of receiving the request. For a purely private property tow, the remedies are the LPSC complaint and the civil action, not that hearing.