State guide
New Jersey
New Jersey has a statewide Predatory Towing Prevention Act enforced through the Division of Consumer Affairs, but statewide fee caps for private-property non-consent towing were not found; instead, municipalities and counties set schedules of towing and storage services and rates. The state also requires tow operators engaged in private-property non-consensual towing to be registered with the Division of Consumer Affairs, and local governments must have a complaint/dispute procedure for consent-free municipal or county towing schedules.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- How to find a towed car
- Not published by an official source we could verify. Ask the office.
- State rules on tow and storage fees
- Statewide fee caps for private-property non-consent towing were not found; municipalities and counties may set towing and storage schedules, and rates must be usual, customary, and reasonable.
- Notice rules (police and owner)
- For law-enforcement-authorized non-consensual tows, the towing company must notify the operator, owner, lessor, and lienholder within 30 days after the vehicle arrives at the lot; no statewide private-lot owner-notice deadline was found on the official pages reviewed.
- Who regulates tow companies
- New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Office of Consumer Protection; local municipalities and counties also regulate approved fee schedules.
- File a towing complaint
- Official page →
Official resources in New Jersey
Printable complaint forms page used to file a general consumer complaint with the Division of Consumer Affairs.
Explains that the Office of Consumer Protection investigates consumer complaints and directs users to file a complaint.
State compilation showing that municipalities and counties may adopt towing and storage schedules and complaint procedures.
Current statutory text on reasonable fees and 30-day notice for law-enforcement-authorized non-consensual tows.
Example of a large-city official wrecker licensing page in New Jersey.
Key facts for New Jersey
- New Jersey requires private-property towing companies performing non-consensual tows to register with the Division of Consumer Affairs.
- Municipalities and counties may regulate towing and storage fees for vehicles removed from private or public property by ordinance or resolution.
- A municipality or county that sets a towing schedule must implement a procedure to receive complaints and resolve disputes.
- Charging discriminatory or not usual, customary, and reasonable towing or storage rates is an unlawful practice.
- For law-enforcement-authorized non-consensual tows, the towing company must notify the operator, owner, lessor, and lienholder within 30 days after the vehicle arrives at the lot.
- If an owner or operator returns before the vehicle is actually moved or removed, the towing company must release it, subject to the decoupling-fee rule and law-enforcement exception.
City towed-car lookups and impound lots in New Jersey
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newark Police Department Licensing Unit — Wrecker Essex | Newark | 973-733-6017 | Handles Newark wrecker business licensing. |
| City of Jersey City Commerce — Vehicle Information Form - Towing Class A & Class B Hudson | Jersey City | Not published* | City commerce page linking the Jersey City towing vehicle information form for towing licenses. |
| Elizabeth Police Department — General Orders Union | Elizabeth | 908-558-2000 | Official police page linking the Motor Vehicle Impound & Inventory general order. |
| Paterson Police Division Passaic | Paterson | 973-321-1160 | City department page lists Police Records contact for incident, offense, and accident reports. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Ask your city or county clerk, police department, or parking authority for the local towing ordinance or resolution that sets the approved fee schedule.
- If you believe a private-property tow violated state consumer rules, file a general consumer complaint with the Division of Consumer Affairs and keep the tow receipt and photos.
- If your vehicle was not yet removed from the property when you returned, ask for immediate release and request an itemized receipt for any decoupling fee.
Not seeing your city or county?
Not every city publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from New Jersey's population center, for comparison only):
- NYC Department of Finance — Retrieve a Towed Vehicle, New York · about 31 miles
- NYCServ Towed Vehicle Locator, New York · about 31 miles
- Boot & Tow Information / Policy, New York · about 47 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs — File a Complaint
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the New Jersey page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.