Some Georgia towing fees are regulated and some are not. Tows from private property done without the driver’s consent fall under a state price ceiling. Police-ordered tows inside the City of Atlanta have a lower city cap. A tow you ask for yourself, like a breakdown on I-285, has no statutory cap, and the price is whatever is quoted before the truck is sent.

Which rule applies depends on who called the truck. That one question sorts almost every billing dispute.

The three kinds of tow

Think of every tow as one of three types.

  1. Non-consensual private-property tow. An apartment, shopping center or HOA lot has your car removed. The state tariff applies.
  2. Police or city impound. A law enforcement officer orders the move. The City of Atlanta, Fulton County and DeKalb County each have their own rules.
  3. Consensual tow. You, your insurer or a roadside plan requests it. No state tariff, just a quote.

What the state tariff says

The Georgia Department of Public Safety adopted Maximum Rate Tariff No. 5, effective June 17, 2024. It governs charges for removing and storing vehicles from private property when the owner did not agree to the tow. The authority comes from O.C.G.A. 44-1-13 and DPS Rule 570-38-7, and the tariff is posted on the DPS website.

For a vehicle weighing 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or less, the ceilings are:

  • $228 for the tow itself.
  • $33 per day for storage.
  • No storage charge for the first 24 hours.
  • Additional fees after 72 hours of up to $65.
  • Notification charges of no more than $91 in total.

These are maximums. A lawful operator can charge less. Anything higher than these numbers on a private-lot tow of a regular car is a reason to ask for an itemized bill.

One limit on what this page can tell you: we could not confirm from the tariff itself any per-mile rate for non-consensual tows, so we do not quote one. Ask the operator to show where a mileage line comes from.

Atlanta’s own cap

When Atlanta police order a tow, Atlanta Code section 162-227 caps the towing fee at $125. Storage cannot be charged for the first 24 hours. The fee is all-inclusive, so there is no add-on for a dolly or a lift. The operator has to accept cash, check, debit or a major credit card without a surcharge. That is lower than the state private-lot ceiling, which is why mixing up the two situations leads to confusion at the counter.

County lots work differently. The DeKalb County impound lot in Tucker lists a $125 impound fee and $15 a day for storage, and Fulton County releases impounded vehicles through the Marshal’s office at 185 Central Ave SW. Costs after you collect the car are a separate topic, covered in Atlanta impound release cost.

What is not regulated

If you phone for a tow, the operator names a price. Georgia does not cap that price the way it caps non-consensual tows. Quotes can reasonably differ by distance, vehicle type, time of day, and whether the car needs a flatbed or winch work. Ask three things before agreeing: the total, what is included, and how you pay. You can use our tow cost calculator for a rough sense of what to expect. For an itemized view of typical charges, see how much a tow costs in Atlanta.

If you think you were overcharged

Gather the receipt, the sign photos from the lot, and the name of the operator. Compare each line to the ceiling that applies to your type of tow. Then ask the operator to explain any gap. If it is a private-lot tow, the state rules also require the operator to hold a permit and a written contract with the property owner, which you can ask about. For a quick primer on signage, read what a Georgia tow-away sign has to say.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a maximum towing rate in Georgia?

For non-consensual private-property tows of vehicles up to 10,000 lbs, yes: $228 for the tow under Tariff No. 5. Tows you request yourself are not capped by that tariff.

Is storage free for the first day?

Under both the state tariff and the Atlanta city rule, no storage fee can be charged during the first 24 hours.

Does the $125 Atlanta cap apply to apartment tows?

No. It applies to police-ordered tows in the city. Apartment lots follow the state tariff.

Can a company refuse a credit card?

Under the Atlanta rule, operators on police tows must take cash, check, debit or a major credit card with no surcharge.

If you need a tow or roadside call in metro Atlanta, the line at (858) 925-5546 takes calls 24/7.