How to get your towed car back

If you know your license plate number, you can search our online database. You can also call the Boston Police Department at 617-343-4629 to find out which company towed your car.

If you don’t know your license plate number, call Boston Police at 617-343-4629. Please provide the make, model, and color of vehicle, the address where it was towed from, or other important information. You can also contact Tow operators in Boston directly.

• If your car is located at the City of Boston Tow Lot, please continue down to Step 2 on this page.
• If your car was towed by a private tow company, scroll down to Step 3.
• If your car was towed on a state road or as an abandoned vehicle, check out our towing page for more information.

We charge a $90 tow fee, along with a storage fee of $3 per hour, up to $15 a day. You can pay with cash, a money order, a cashier’s check, or a debit or credit card. If you pay by card, you will be subject to a 2.5 percent fee. 

There is also a kiosk at the tow lot that you can use 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To use the kiosk, you need to meet these requirements:

• You can pay with cash, VISA, Mastercard, or Discover card (cards subject to a 2.5 percent fee)
• You need to know your license plate number.
• You need to know your insurance information.
• Your car must be actively registered.
• You need a valid license, and the name on your license needs to match the name on your credit or debit card.

The City of Boston Tow Lot is located at:

200 Frontage Road

Boston, MA 02118

The City of Boston tow lot is only open Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. Automated kiosks are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for vehicle releases. For more information, call 617-635-3900 or email btd@boston.gov.

Remember to pay your parking ticket and fees

To avoid a late fee, you will also need to pay or appeal your parking ticket within 21 days. The ticket will be stuck under your windshield wiper. Learn how to pay a parking ticket.

If your vehicle was seized due to five or more tickets unpaid, to get your car back, you need to pay all of your overdue parking tickets and fees. You can make your payment at the City of Boston Tow Lot when you come to get your car.

Call the company before you arrive and ask what you need to do before picking up your vehicle. Your vehicle may have been towed for:

• street cleaning
• illegal parking on private property, or
• the Boston Police authorized the tow.

If the Boston Police requested the tow, you will need to go to the police station before getting your car from the private tow company. When you call the company, they will tell you what you need to do.

• $132 for the tow
• $35 for each day they store your car, and
• a fuel surcharge. To find out what the fuel surcharge will be, check the fuel charge factor on the state's website. 

Remember to pay your parking ticket and fees

To avoid a late fee, you will also need to pay or appeal your parking ticket within 21 days. The ticket will be stuck under your windshield wiper. Learn how to pay a parking ticket.

If your vehicle was seized due to five or more tickets unpaid, to get your car back, you need to pay all of your overdue parking tickets and fees. You can make your payment at the City of Boston Tow Lot when you come to get your car.