State guide
Virginia
Virginia sets statewide default limits for many private-property non-consent passenger-car tows, but local ordinances can set different limits in some places. Official Virginia pages also split oversight: DCJS registers tow truck drivers, while the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section takes towing complaints.
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
- Unless a locality sets different limits by ordinance, Virginia caps a non-consent private-property passenger-car tow at a $210 hookup and initial fee, allows up to two $30 after-hours add-ons, and forbids storage charges for the first 24 hours or less.
- Notice rules (police and owner)
- For trespassing-vehicle tows from private property, the tow operator must forthwith notify State Police or local law enforcement; if law enforcement removes a vehicle obstructing movement on property, it must report the removal to DMV and the owner as promptly as possible.
- Who regulates tow companies
- Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services registers tow truck drivers; local governing bodies may regulate certain towing fees by ordinance; the Office of the Attorney General handles consumer towing complaints.
- File a towing complaint
- Official page →
Official resources in Virginia
Statewide default cap on non-consent private-property towing, storage, and safekeeping charges for passenger cars.
Rules for trespassing-vehicle tows from private property, including signage and reporting to State Police or local law enforcement.
Official licensing page explaining that DCJS registers tow truck drivers in Virginia.
Official complaint page explaining that consumer towing complaints generally may be filed with the Attorney General.
Printable official complaint form for complaints against towing and recovery operators, drivers, companies, and property owners.
Key facts for Virginia
- Virginia’s default statewide cap says the hookup and initial towing fee for a non-consent passenger-car tow may not exceed $210.
- Virginia bars storage and safekeeping charges for the first 24 hours or less on those passenger-car tows.
- A tow operator removing a trespassing vehicle from private property must forthwith notify State Police or local law enforcement.
- If law enforcement removes a vehicle obstructing movement on property, it must report the removal to DMV and the owner as promptly as possible.
- DCJS says it registers tow truck drivers only.
- The Attorney General says consumer complaints against towing and recovery operators and tow truck drivers generally may be filed with its office.
City towed-car lookups and impound lots in Virginia
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Richmond Tow Events | Richmond | Not published* | Official city tow lookup application for viewing recent tow events. |
| City of Norfolk Towing & Recovery | Norfolk | 757-441-1062 | Official city impound page for inquiries about towed vehicles, reclaiming vehicles, and lot fees. |
| Hampton Police Division Towed Vehicles Policy | Hampton | Not published* | Official police policy describing when Hampton Police tows and impounds vehicles. |
| Chesapeake Police Department Reporting Non-Emergencies | Chesapeake | 757-382-6161 | Official police page for abandoned-vehicle and non-emergency vehicle reports; city zoning page also directs residents here for abandoned vehicles on City property. |
* 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 the tow came from posted private property or from a police action, because Virginia uses different notice and complaint paths.
- Compare your invoice with the statewide cap and any local ordinance where the tow occurred.
- If the tow seems improper, keep photos, signs, receipts, and the impound paperwork, then file the Attorney General towing complaint form.
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 Virginia's population center, for comparison only):
- Locate a Towed Vehicle, District of Columbia · about 84 miles
- DC Department of Public Works Towing, District of Columbia · about 84 miles
- Blue Plains Impoundment Lot, District of Columbia · about 84 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Virginia DCJS Tow Truck Drivers
Website →Phone: (804) 786-4700 (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 Virginia page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.