A tow in New York City has no single price, because who moved the car decides the bill. If the NYPD towed it for a parking violation, the city’s own release fee is $185 for a vehicle under 8,000 pounds and $370 at or above that weight, plus $20 a night storage. A private-lot or driveway tow runs on a separate schedule the city caps. Anything an independent operator quotes for a road call is stated in the quote before a truck rolls.
The NYPD pound fee is fixed and public
If the car left a public street for a parking violation, it went to a borough NYPD tow pound, and the release fee is published. The city lists $185 for a standard tow and $370 for a heavy vehicle of 8,000 pounds or more. Storage adds $20 for each night the car sits. You have 10 days to reclaim it before further steps begin.
These are the city’s numbers, not ours, and they come straight from the NYPD towed-vehicles page. Confirm the exact amount with the pound before you travel, since storage grows each night and a hold can change what you owe.
A private-lot tow runs on the DCWP cap
Say your car was hooked from a private lot or for blocking a driveway. That tow is done by a business the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection licenses, and the price is capped. A licensed operator may charge up to $125 for the removal plus the first three days of storage, then $15 a day after that.
One rule can save you the whole fee. If you get back before the car is fully removed and it’s already connected to the truck, the operator may charge only a drop fee of $62.50 and must disconnect it. That comes from NYC Admin Code section 19-169.1 and the DCWP towing page.
An accident tow has its own rate
If police directed the tow after a crash, a different schedule applies. The NYPD rotation program lists a $50 tow, or $100 for a double, with storage at $10 a day for the first three days and $12 after. DCWP’s DARP and ROTOW caps run to $125 or $140 for the tow with storage at $25 then $27 a day. Ask which program handled your car so you’re checking the right number.
Why our own price is a quote, not a chart
Quick Tow NYC is a referral service. We match drivers with independent local operators, we don’t own trucks, and we’re not a DCWP-licensed towing business. So we don’t publish a flat road-call price. The operator sets it and states it before dispatch, based on your location, the vehicle, and the distance.
That’s the honest answer to a per-mile or after-hours figure too. Anyone quoting a citywide flat rate sight unseen is guessing. Give us the borough, the cross streets, and the problem, and you get a real number up front.
What moves the price up or down
A few things shift a road-call quote in New York. Distance matters, and a long haul out to Long Island or across the Hudson costs more than a run inside your borough. Vehicle type matters, since a low EV or an all-wheel-drive car needs a flatbed. Access matters most of all here.
The parkways change the math. Trucks and tow trucks are banned on the Belt, the FDR, the Cross Bronx approaches by parkway, the Henry Hudson, the Grand Central and more, so a flatbed can’t legally take those roads. An operator routes around them, and a longer legal route can affect the quote. Ask how they plan to reach you if you’re stuck on a restricted road.
When to call us
Call when you need a car moved and you want the price before the truck leaves, not after. Our line is answered around the clock at (858) 925-5546, it plays a recording notice, and it can connect your request with an independent local operator.
Common questions
Does Quick Tow NYC set the tow price?
No. We’re a referral service and don’t own trucks. The independent operator sets the road-call price and states it in the quote before dispatch. The only fixed figures in this article are the city’s own published fees.
How much is it to get a car out of an NYPD pound?
The city lists $185 for a standard tow, $370 for a heavy vehicle at 8,000 pounds or more, and $20 a night storage, with a 10-day reclaim window. Confirm the current total with the pound, since storage adds up nightly.
Can a private lot charge me whatever it wants?
No. A DCWP-licensed operator is capped at $125 for the tow plus three days, then $15 a day. If you return before the car is removed, the drop fee is $62.50. Report overcharges to DCWP.
Why won’t you quote a flat rate over the phone?
Because a fair road-call price depends on your location, the vehicle, and the route around any parkway or tunnel restriction. Tell us the borough and the problem, and the operator gives you a real number before dispatch.