State guide
New Mexico
New Mexico regulates towing services statewide under NMDOT-issued rules in 18.3.12 NMAC, including notice deadlines, payment rules, and approved tariffs for non-consensual towing. Complaints go through the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, which now routes formal complaints through PRCe360.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
- How to find a towed car
- No statewide New Mexico towed-vehicle search was found on the official pages reviewed.
- State rules on tow and storage fees
- New Mexico does not publish a single statewide dollar cap on the pages reviewed; non-consensual towing rates must be in the towing service’s approved tariff.
- Notice rules (police and owner)
- For non-consensual tows, ownership information must be requested within three business days, and the registered owner and lienholder must be notified within two business days after that information is received; altered or missing VINs must be reported to law enforcement as soon as discovered.
- Who regulates tow companies
- New Mexico Department of Transportation issues the towing-services rule; the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission handles consumer complaints.
- File a towing complaint
- Official page →
Official resources in New Mexico
18.3.12 NMAC — Towing Services
Current statewide towing-services rule with owner-notice, VIN-reporting, and dispute provisions.
NM PRC Contact Us
Lists the commission’s consumer-complaint contact information and complaint phone number.
PRCe360
The PRC’s current portal for filing a formal complaint.
Albuquerque Office of Administrative Hearings
City page showing Albuquerque towed-vehicle appeals and wrecker-rotation appeals.
Las Cruces Police Department Records Section
Explains how to request vehicle release forms for impounded vehicles in Las Cruces.
Key facts for New Mexico
- For non-consensual tows, a New Mexico towing service must use an approved tariff.
- If the vehicle has New Mexico plates, ownership information must be requested within three business days after the vehicle comes into the tower’s possession.
- Within two business days after getting owner or lienholder information, the tower must notify the registered owner and lienholder by certified mail using MVD Form 10058.
- A tower that misses the three-business-day request deadline or two-business-day mailing deadline cannot collect storage charges or liens for an unclaimed vehicle.
- If a tower discovers an altered, mutilated, or missing VIN, it must notify local law enforcement or New Mexico State Police in writing as soon as discovered.
- Towing services must accept cash and must also accept either credit card or check, with accepted forms of payment posted conspicuously.
City towed-car lookups and impound lots in New Mexico
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office of Administrative Hearings — Towed Vehicle Appeal Bernalillo | Albuquerque | (505) 924-3650 | Handles Albuquerque towed-vehicle appeals and wrecker-rotation appeals. |
| Albuquerque Police Department Phone Directory Bernalillo | Albuquerque | 505-768-2020 | Official APD directory page listing Records/Information and substation contacts; abandoned-vehicle hotline is the closest substation. |
| Las Cruces Police Department Records Section Doña Ana | Las Cruces | (575) 528-4137 | Vehicle release forms for impounded vehicles can be requested at the Records window; page lists Records hours. |
| Las Cruces Online Reporting — Abandoned Vehicle Doña Ana | Las Cruces | 575-528-4100 | Official reporting page for abandoned-vehicle complaints within city limits. |
| Santa Fe Police Department DWI Vehicle Forfeiture Program Santa Fe | Santa Fe | Not published* | Official city form states seized vehicles are impounded at the Santa Fe Police Department DWI lot and explains hearing rights. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Ask the tow company for its approved tariff and for the certified-mail notice record if you were not told quickly where your vehicle was stored.
- If you dispute towing or storage charges, ask for the written PRC complaint notice the rule requires the towing service to provide.
- In Albuquerque, use the city hearing process for a towed-vehicle appeal; in Las Cruces, request a vehicle release form from the LCPD Records window.
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 Mexico's population center, for comparison only):
- Impounded Vehicles, Colorado · about 308 miles
- Tucson Police Department Impound Lobby, Arizona · about 309 miles
- Mesa Police Department Towing Unit, Arizona · about 316 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.NM PRC Contact Us
Website →Phone: (888) 427-5772 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the New Mexico page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.