A car parked on the street blocking your driveway in Orlando doesn’t need a posted tow-away sign before you have it removed. Florida Statute 715.07 lets a property owner, lessee, or their authorized agent tow a vehicle that’s parked on the public right-of-way in a way that blocks driveway access, no sign required. Here’s how to handle it the right way, from documenting the block to making the call.
What Florida law actually allows
Most private property towing in Florida runs through a signage requirement. FS 715.07 normally requires a posted “Tow-Away Zone” notice, in place at least 24 hours before a tow, before a property owner can have a vehicle removed. A blocked driveway is the exception. If a vehicle is sitting on the public right-of-way, meaning the street or curb strip in front of your property, and it’s obstructing access to your driveway, the statute lets the property owner, a lessee, or an agent have it removed without any sign posted at all.
That’s a narrower rule than it sounds. It covers a car parked across your driveway apron or nosed up against the curb cut, not one that’s actually pulled onto your private property. A vehicle sitting inside your driveway itself is a different situation, and it falls under our private property towing process instead.
Step by step: what to do when you find the car
Start by documenting it. Take a few photos on your phone showing the car’s position against your driveway, a wide shot with the address visible if you can get one, and the license plate. If the block is bad enough that you can’t get your own vehicle in or out, that documentation is worth having.
Next, try to find the driver before you call anyone. Check with neighbors, knock on a nearby door, or look for a note left on the dash. A lot of blocked-driveway calls turn out to be a guest at a neighbor’s gathering or a delivery driver who didn’t realize where they’d stopped. Ten minutes spent finding the driver can save both of you a tow bill.
If you can’t find who owns the car, call it in before you call a tow truck. In unincorporated Orange County, that’s the Orange County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at (407) 836-4357. Inside Orlando’s city limits, call your local police department’s non-emergency line instead. Getting the block on record before the tow happens matters if the driver comes back and disputes what happened.
Then call us. We handle driveway blocks under the same private property towing process we use for any vehicle removed from a lot or a curb cut, and we’ll walk you through what we need from you before the truck rolls.
If the driver shows up while the truck is there
If the driver comes back after the truck has hooked up but before the car has actually left, Florida Statute 715.07 caps what the tow company can charge at half the posted rate. Once the vehicle is on the hook and the truck pulls away, that discount is gone.
That’s state law, not something we can waive or extend once the truck is rolling. If someone comes running out while our driver is still on scene, that half-rate window is the one that matters.
If it’s your car that got towed
If you’re the one who just found your car missing from someone’s driveway, this isn’t the article you need. Read how to find your towed car in Orlando for the exact steps: who to call, what the county requires the storage yard to do, and how to get your car back.
Call us to clear it
Call (321) 321-9797 when you’re ready to have a blocked driveway cleared. We’ll ask where the car is, confirm it’s on the public right-of-way in front of your property, and send a truck.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to post a tow-away sign to get a car towed off my driveway?
No, not for this specific situation. Florida Statute 715.07 lets a property owner, lessee, or agent remove a vehicle parked on the public right-of-way that’s blocking driveway access, without any posted sign.
What if the car is parked in my driveway, not just blocking the end of it?
That’s a trespass tow instead of the blocked-driveway exception, and different rules apply. See our private property towing guide for that process.
Should I call the police before I call a tow truck?
It’s not required for this specific removal, but it’s worth doing. Calling the non-emergency line first, (407) 836-4357 in unincorporated Orange County or your local department’s non-emergency line inside city limits, puts the situation on record before the tow happens. The tow operator still notifies law enforcement within 30 minutes of completing the tow either way, which Florida law requires.
What happens if the driver shows up while the truck is hooking up?
Florida law caps what the tow company can charge at half the posted rate if the car is returned to the driver before it’s actually removed. Once the truck leaves with the car, that rate no longer applies.
My car just got towed from someone’s driveway. How do I find it?
Read how to find your towed car in Orlando for the full walkthrough on locating it and getting it back.
Can I just move the car myself instead of calling a tow truck?
We don’t recommend it. Moving someone else’s vehicle yourself risks damage to the car, to your own vehicle, or to you, and it’s not worth the liability. Document the block and let a tow company handle the removal.