State guide
South Carolina
South Carolina does not show a single statewide towed-vehicle search on the state pages found here, but state law and official court guidance require quick law-enforcement notification for non-consensual private-property tows. State law limits pre-notice storage charges and the South Carolina Highway Patrol regulates rotation-list wreckers used for Highway Patrol towing zones.
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
- No statewide towed-vehicle search was found on the official South Carolina state pages reviewed; city and county systems exist instead, including Greenville’s official 'Find a Towed Car' page and Charleston’s city page linking to the Charleston County Private Towing Log.
- State rules on tow and storage fees
- South Carolina does not show a statewide dollar cap on private-property non-consent tow fees in the sources reviewed, but state law caps pre-notice storage exposure at seven business days and SCHP requires rotation-list fees to be reasonable.
- Notice rules (police and owner)
- For private-property tows without the owner’s knowledge, official court guidance says police or the sheriff must be notified within one hour; state law also requires mailed notice of the vehicle’s location within five business days after the owner and lienholder identities are obtained.
- Who regulates tow companies
- South Carolina Department of Public Safety, South Carolina Highway Patrol Regulatory Compliance Unit, for Highway Patrol rotation-wrecker regulation.
- File a towing complaint
- Official page →
Official resources in South Carolina
Official state lien and storage statute, including limits on pre-notice storage charges and owner/lienholder notice timing.
Official South Carolina Highway Patrol page on rotation-list wrecker regulation, rate review, and complaint routing.
Official regulation PDF with detailed rotation-list requirements, dispute handling, and release rules.
Official South Carolina court form guidance that states a towing company must notify municipal police or the sheriff within one hour when towing without the owner’s knowledge.
Official city page telling owners how to locate a towed car and where to raise tow concerns.
Key facts for South Carolina
- State law allows only up to seven business days of storage charges before notice is sent to the owner and lienholders.
- The notice of the vehicle’s location must be sent within five business days after receiving the owner’s and lienholder’s identities.
- For private-property tows without the owner’s knowledge, official court guidance says the towing company must notify municipal police or the sheriff within one hour or forfeit tow and storage charges.
- A vehicle found parked on private property may be towed and stored at the expense of the registered owner or lienholder, subject to the Section 29-15-10 storage-charge limits.
- SCHP says fees for rotation-list calls must be reasonable and not exceed rates charged for similar services to public or private callers.
- Complaints about incidents involving Highway Patrol wrecker-list operations must be made within thirty days to the Captain of the Troop where the incident occurred.
City towed-car lookups and impound lots in South Carolina
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find a Towed Car Greenville | Greenville | Not published* | Official Greenville Police page for locating a towed car. |
| Nonconsensual Towing & Immobilization Charleston | Charleston | (843) 577-7434 | Official Charleston page for finding a towed vehicle and for tow questions or concerns. |
| Vehicle Towing Program - Parking Division Richland | Columbia | Not published* | Official Columbia page for vehicles towed over past-due parking tickets; police tell you which towing company has the vehicle. |
| Parking Services - City of Columbia Richland | Columbia | (803) 545-4015 | Official parking office page with customer-service location and parking questions contact. |
* 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 Charleston, first check the posted sign or the Charleston County Private Towing Log; if you still cannot locate it, call Charleston Police non-emergency.
- If your tow was connected to a Highway Patrol rotation call, direct the complaint to the SCHP Troop Captain for the area within thirty days.
- Ask the tow company when owner/lienholder notice was sent; South Carolina limits what storage can be charged before that notice.
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 South Carolina's population center, for comparison only):
- Code Enforcement General Info, North Carolina · about 82 miles
- Savannah Police Department Headquarters, Georgia · about 139 miles
- Code Enforcement, North Carolina · about 149 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.South Carolina Code - Section 29-15-10
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 South Carolina page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.