State guide
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania does not have a statewide public towed-vehicle lookup in the official state sources I found. Statewide towing rules are split: PennDOT registers repair/towing businesses as miscellaneous motor vehicle businesses, while statutes and PSP materials govern impound, storage, and emergency towing practices.
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
- Yes, partially. State law lets municipalities set removal rates, and if storage charges are not set by the municipality, the maximum storage charge is $25 per day.
- Notice rules (police and owner)
- For abandoned-vehicle processing, PennDOT says a salvor must submit MV-952 within 48 hours after towing, and the mailed notice must tell the owner and lienholders they have 30 days after mailing to reclaim the vehicle.
- Who regulates tow companies
- PennDOT Dealer Services Division registers repair or towing businesses; Pennsylvania State Police regulates PSP emergency towing services and investigates related PSP-tow complaints.
- File a towing complaint
- Official page →
Official resources in Pennsylvania
Official state page showing that repair and towing providers deal with PennDOT Dealer Services, not the Vehicle Board.
PennDOT publication explaining abandoned-vehicle processing, including the 48-hour MV-952 filing and owner notice process.
Official statute page covering private-property removal costs, municipal rate-setting authority, and the storage maximum when no municipal rate exists.
Official statewide consumer complaint form for unfair business practices, including towing disputes.
Official PSP index for manuals that include emergency towing and towing-facility oversight materials.
Key facts for Pennsylvania
- PennDOT says repair or towing businesses are miscellaneous motor vehicle businesses handled by PennDOT Dealer Services.
- Pennsylvania law lets a property owner remove a vehicle left on private property without consent for more than 24 hours.
- Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3353, storage is capped at $25 per day if the municipality has not set storage charges.
- PennDOT Publication 460 says a salvor must submit Form MV-952 to PennDOT within 48 hours after towing an abandoned vehicle.
- Publication 460 says owner notice must explain the right to reclaim the vehicle within 30 days after the notice was mailed.
- PSP's emergency towing regulation says complaints about approved emergency towing services are investigated by the appropriate Troop Vehicle Fraud Investigator.
City towed-car lookups and impound lots in Pennsylvania
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Towing Philadelphia | Philadelphia | Not published* | Official City of Philadelphia towing services page linking to vehicle recovery and predatory-towing complaint information. |
| Philadelphia Parking Authority - Booted & Towed Vehicles Philadelphia | Philadelphia | 888-591-3636 | Official PPA page to locate an impounded vehicle and review tow, storage, and release information. |
| Operations Branch - Tow Pound Allegheny | Pittsburgh | Not published* | Official Pittsburgh police page naming the city's tow-pound contractor and how to report abandoned cars. |
| Parking Enforcement Dauphin | Harrisburg | (717) 255-3040 | Official Harrisburg parking page stating booted vehicles have 48 hours to pay unpaid tickets before towing. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Check whether your municipality set its own tow or storage rates, because state law otherwise defaults storage to a $25 daily maximum.
- If the vehicle was processed as abandoned, ask whether MV-952 was filed within 48 hours and when the mailed owner notice went out.
- For business-practice complaints, file with the Attorney General and keep copies of invoices, notices, and photos.
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 Pennsylvania's population center, for comparison only):
- Vehicle Towing and Impound Procedures, Maryland · about 75 miles
- DOT Impounded Vehicle Inventory Control (IVIC), Maryland · about 82 miles
- Newark Police Department, Delaware · about 84 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.PennDOT - Who to Contact: Vehicle Board or PennDOT
Website →Phone: (866) 545-2476 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Pennsylvania page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.