State guide
Rhode Island
Rhode Island regulates non-consensual towing through the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, which specifically oversees tow companies and approves tariffs for towing done without the owner’s prior consent. State law also requires a certificated tower to notify local police quickly after removing an abandoned or unattended vehicle and to mail owner/lienholder notice within fourteen days.
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
- Not published by an official source we could verify. Ask the office.
- State rules on tow and storage fees
- Rhode Island regulates private-property non-consent towing through published tariffs approved by the Division; state law requires charges to follow the published tariff, and a RIPUC order sets a private-trespass tow tariff that includes a $125 flat tow with first 24 hours of storage and a $60 scene-release fee.
- Notice rules (police and owner)
- For abandoned or unattended vehicles, the tower must notify local police within two hours and mail notice to the last-known registered owner and lienholders within fourteen days; the statutory notice also gives ten days from the notice date to contest the tow.
- Who regulates tow companies
- Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, Motor Carrier Division.
- File a towing complaint
- Official page →
Official resources in Rhode Island
Rhode Island Towing Storage Act - Notice and processing of abandoned and unclaimed motor vehicles
State statute on police notification, mailed owner notice, and publication notice for abandoned or unattended vehicles.
Rhode Island Motor Carrier Complaint Form
Official complaint form for complaints filed with the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, Motor Carrier Division.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-12.1-12 - Private trespass towing
State statute for private-property trespass tows, including the written-direction requirement and published-tariff rule.
Key facts for Rhode Island
- A certificated tower removing an abandoned or unattended vehicle must notify the city or town police department within two hours.
- Rhode Island requires owner and lienholder notice by registered mail within fourteen days after the vehicle is taken into custody.
- For private trespass tows, the property owner or person in control must retain the tower in writing.
- The private-trespass impound lot must be within ten miles of the point of removal.
- The RIPUC Division approves tariff rates for towing operations performed without prior consent and investigates complaints regarding charges.
- If the owner says the tow was improper, the statutory notice says a complaint may be filed with the Public Utilities Commission within ten days from the date of notice.
City towed-car lookups and impound lots in Rhode Island
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence Police Department non-emergency / snow tow information Providence | Providence | (401) 272-3121 | Providence tells owners to call this line if a vehicle was towed during a parking ban; tow-release policy says owners generally go directly to the tow yard with proof of ownership. |
| Providence 311 - Report an Abandoned Vehicle Providence | Providence | 401-272-3121 | Providence’s official abandoned-vehicle page explains tagging and towing timelines and directs callers to the police non-emergency line. |
| East Providence Police FAQ - What if I had my car towed? Providence | East Providence | 401-435-7600 EXT 20034 | FAQ explains that owners usually get tow-location information from the tow company and that police holds must be cleared before release. |
| East Providence Police Department parking-ban tow information Providence | East Providence | Not published* | City notice says to call East Providence Police and press #1 for vehicle retrieval after a parking-ban tow. |
| Pawtucket Parking Ban Information Providence | Pawtucket | (401) 727-9100 | Official page says vehicles left on the street during a ban will be towed at the owner’s expense and tells residents to call the police station auto attendant for ban status. |
| Pawtucket Public Safety Providence | Pawtucket | (401) 727-9100 | City public-safety page with police non-emergency contact and parking-ban information link. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- If your car may have been towed in Providence, contact the Providence Police non-emergency line first; for abandoned-vehicle cases owners usually deal directly with the tow yard.
- If you dispute a Rhode Island tow charge, save the tow receipt and use the RIPUC Motor Carrier complaint form.
- For a private-lot trespass tow, ask whether the tower has the required written direction from the property owner or person in control.
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 Rhode Island's population center, for comparison only):
- Abandoned Vehicles, Massachusetts · about 38 miles
- Towed Vehicle Lookup, Massachusetts · about 49 miles
- Records Bureau, Massachusetts · about 57 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Rhode Island Towing Storage Act - Notice and processing of abandoned and unclaimed motor vehicles
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 Rhode Island page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.