What you pay depends on who ordered the tow. A police tow inside the City of Atlanta is capped at $125 with no storage for the first 24 hours. DeKalb County lists a $125 impound fee plus $15 a day. A tow from a private lot follows Georgia’s state tariff, with a $228 ceiling on the tow itself.
Those three systems do not overlap, so the first job is to name the one you are in. If you have not located the car yet, start with where your towed car is and come back here.
City of Atlanta police tows
When the Atlanta Police Department orders the tow, Atlanta Code § 162-227 sets the rules:
- The towing fee is capped at $125.
- No storage fee is charged for the first 24-hour period after removal.
- The fee is all-inclusive. The wrecker cannot add a separate charge for dollies, trailers, lifts or slim jims.
- The wrecker must take cash, check, debit or a major credit card without a surcharge.
The city’s published limits cover the tow and the first day of storage. We could not find any other administrative impound fee in the ordinance, so if a bill shows one, ask which rule creates it and get the answer in writing.
DeKalb County lot
DeKalb keeps its own lot at 2158 Tucker Industrial Rd, Tucker, GA 30084, phone (770) 493-9083. The published figures are a $125 impound fee and $15 per day of storage. A higher storage rate was proposed in 2024, but the verified current figure is $15, so confirm by phone before you leave.
Worked example, using the published numbers: a car held for four billable days would owe $125 plus 4 x $15, which is $185. Ask the lot when the daily clock starts, because that single detail moves the total.
Fulton County releases
Fulton works through an office rather than the tow yard. The Fulton County Marshal’s administrative office at 185 Central Ave SW, 9th Floor, Atlanta 30303, releases impounded vehicles. It is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the number is (404) 612-5100. The county’s Marshal impound page describes the steps.
We did not find a published fee schedule for these releases, so we are not quoting one. Call the office before you go downtown and ask for the full amount in one number.
Private lot tows: the state tariff
Apartment, retail and HOA tows fall under O.C.G.A. § 44-1-13 and the Georgia DPS Maximum Rate Tariff No. 5, effective June 17, 2024. For a vehicle of 10,000 lbs GVWR or less, the published ceilings are:
- Tow fee: up to $228.
- Storage: up to $33 per day, with none for the first 24 hours.
- Additional fees after 72 hours: up to $65.
- Total notification charges: up to $91.
These are maximums, not what every company charges. Worked example: you find the car the next morning, inside the free first 24 hours. The most the tow and storage can reach is $228, plus any lawful notification charges. Leave the car three more days and storage and extra fees begin to stack up toward those ceilings.
One rule worth knowing: if the operator has not yet hooked or loaded your car and you return with the key and remove it right away, no fee is charged. If it is already hooked or loaded but still on the property, the firm may charge an operator’s fee but no storage or other fees. That comes from Georgia rule 570-38-7.
Airport and other agency fees
Hartsfield-Jackson impound storage is $2.50 per day after the first day. Parking on a shoulder or ramp near the airport can bring fines from $50 to more than $350, on top of the tow and impound. The airport’s impound contractor could not be confirmed here, so ask its parking office.
How to keep the bill from growing
- Go the same day. Storage is the part you control.
- Ask for an itemized receipt. Georgia’s rule requires a receipt showing the total and a description of each specific charge, with the date and time of release.
- Pay with a method the lot must accept. For private-lot tows the state rule lets you choose cash, travelers checks, money orders, certified checks or cashier’s checks, and any card the lot accepts cannot carry an extra fee.
- Photograph the posted sign and the car before you drive out.
Frequently asked questions
Is the $125 City of Atlanta cap the same as a private lot tow?
No. That cap applies when police order the tow. A private-lot tow is governed by the state tariff, with a $228 ceiling for most cars.
Do closed days count toward storage?
The state rule says no storage fee may be charged for any day the impound lot is closed or the vehicle is unavailable for release. Ask which days were billed.
What if a charge looks over the cap?
Ask the lot to point to the rule behind it, and get the itemized receipt either way. The caps are in the links above, so you can compare line by line.
Can someone else pick up my car?
Policies vary by lot. Call ahead and ask what written permission and ID they need.
If you need a flatbed or roadside call after you have paid, the line at (858) 925-5546 takes calls 24/7. The tow cost calculator is there for a rough idea of a consensual tow.