If a tow truck already took your car from a lot, a driveway, or a spot you thought was fine, Orange County’s towing ordinance gives you specific rights the tow company has to follow. You can pull your belongings out of the car without paying first. The yard has to move fast once you pay. And there’s a real process to fight a bill you think is wrong. Here’s what the law actually guarantees, not what a tow yard tells you over the phone.
Your belongings aren’t a bargaining chip
Under Orange County’s ordinance, the tow company can’t hold your personal property hostage while you sort out payment. You’re allowed to inspect the vehicle and pull your belongings out of it at any time, and you don’t have to pay first or sign any release or liability waiver to do it. That right exists whether or not you’ve settled the bill yet. If a yard tells you that you need to pay before they’ll let you grab a car seat, medication, or a laptop out of the back seat, that’s not how the county rule works.
How fast the yard has to move once you show up
Once you pay, the tow company has to release your car within 30 minutes. The county also requires a stated pickup window of one hour from when you request it, and phones at the storage facility have to be staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year. That means a real person should pick up even at 3 a.m., and you shouldn’t be told to come back tomorrow because nobody’s on shift.
An expired registration doesn’t change any of that. Orange County’s ordinance specifically bars using an expired tag to block a release. If you’re only there to pay and remove an immobilization device rather than to reclaim the vehicle outright, proof of ownership isn’t even required.
How you’re allowed to pay
Orange County’s ordinance requires the tow company to accept cash, money order, cashier’s check, and major debit or credit cards. No card surcharge is allowed, and cash payments round to the nearest dollar in your favor, not the company’s. If a yard tells you it’s cash only, or tacks on a fee for using a card, that’s a county ordinance violation, not a store policy they’re free to set.
What Orange County caps a trespass tow at
For a standard passenger vehicle up to 10,000 pounds, classified as Class A, the county caps a trespass tow, meaning your car was removed from private property without your consent, at a flat $135. That’s the county maximum a tow company may legally charge, not a Quick Tow Orlando price, and it’s higher for heavier vehicles.
Storage runs up to $32 a day for a Class A vehicle after the free period ends. That free period is the first 24 hours for a trespass tow and the first 6 hours for a nonconsensual tow, meaning your car was removed without your consent at an accident or incapacitation scene. If you get your car back inside that window, storage shouldn’t show up on the bill at all.
There’s also a drop fee, the charge if you show up after the truck has hooked your car but before it’s actually driven away. The county caps that at half the flat towing rate for your vehicle’s class, which works out to $67.50 for a Class A trespass tow, and the operator has to wait at least 15 minutes on scene to give you the chance to pay and reclaim it.
The sign has to follow the rules too
Florida Statute 715.07 sets the signage requirements for a legal private property tow. A posted notice has to sit at each driveway or curb cut within 10 feet of the road, with “Tow-Away Zone” printed in light-reflective letters at least 4 inches tall on a contrasting background, plus a warning that towing is at the owner’s expense in letters at least 2 inches tall. The sign has to list the tow company’s name and a current phone number, be mounted 3 to 6 feet off the ground, and stay up for at least 24 hours before any car gets towed. The same statute requires the tow operator to notify local police within 30 minutes of completing the tow. If none of that happened at the spot your car was parked, that’s worth writing down before you forget the details.
If you think the tow was wrong or the bill is wrong
You don’t have to pay a disputed amount just to get your car back and settle it later. Orange County’s ordinance lets you post a bond in circuit court instead, and the tow company has to release the vehicle once you prove the bond is in place. For a wrongful tow or an overcharge, file a complaint with the Orange County Consumer Fraud Unit at (407) 836-2490.
We’ve laid out the full step-by-step process, what to photograph, what to file, and in what order, in our guide on how to dispute a tow in Orlando. If your car was towed from private property specifically, our private property towing guide covers that situation in more depth.
What to do right now
If you’re still trying to figure out where your car went, start with how to find your towed car in Orlando. If it’s been sitting a while and you’re worried about the clock running out, see our impound lien sale guide for the timeline before a yard can sell an unclaimed vehicle.
We’re a towing service, not the storage yard holding your car and not law enforcement, so we can’t waive a yard’s fees or override a release decision. What we can do is help you sort out where your car is and get you a truck if you need one after. Call (321) 321-9797 and we’ll quote a flat rate before anyone rolls.
Frequently asked questions
Can a tow yard keep my belongings until I pay?
No. Orange County’s ordinance requires the tow company to let you inspect the car and retrieve personal belongings at any time, without paying first and without signing a release.
How fast does the tow company have to release my car once I pay?
Within 30 minutes of payment, with a stated pickup window of one hour from your request. Phones at the storage facility have to be staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Can an expired registration keep my car impounded?
No. Orange County’s ordinance specifically bars using an expired registration to block a vehicle’s release.
Does Orange County let a tow company charge extra for using a card?
No. The ordinance requires acceptance of cash, money order, cashier’s check, and major debit or credit cards with no card surcharge, and cash rounds in your favor.
What’s the most a trespass tow can legally cost in Orange County?
For a standard passenger vehicle, Class A, the county caps a trespass tow at a flat $135, with storage capped at $32 a day after the free period ends. Heavier vehicle classes have higher caps.
What if I think I was towed illegally or overcharged?
You can post a bond in circuit court instead of paying the disputed amount, and the company has to release the car once you prove the bond. File a complaint with the Orange County Consumer Fraud Unit at (407) 836-2490, and see our dispute guide for the full process.