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Are Texas towing companies required to notify the police that they've towed your car?

By Brandy Ruiz
NO

State laws do not require that towing companies notify police when a car is towed. Storage facilities where towed vehicles are brought, however, are required to report to police within two hours of accepting a towed vehicle.

Tow companies are required by Texas law to provide a tow ticket with the company’s information to the vehicle owner if it is a nonconsent tow, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

A nonconsent tow is when the tow was not requested by the vehicle’s owner, operator or possessor, according to Texas Administrative code. This includes towing from a private property or from a traffic accident or incident impacting traffic flow.

According to the TDLR, the tow ticket must itemize each charge, contain the licensed name of the towing company, publicly listed telephone number, towing company certificate of registration number, and the TDLR license number of the towing operator.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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