State guide
Washington
Washington licenses registered tow truck operators through the Department of Licensing and uses Chapter 46.55 RCW for towing, impound, notice, redemption, and fee rules. Official pages do not show a single statewide public search for all towed vehicles; the State Patrol instead directs people to local law enforcement or a WSP communications center for WSP impounds.
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 single statewide public towed-vehicle search was found on official state pages; WSP says to contact local law enforcement for most impounds, or a WSP communications center for WSP impounds.
- Statewide towed-vehicle search
- Official page →
- State rules on tow and storage fees
- For private impounds using class A, D, or E tow trucks, the operator’s filed maximum hourly towing rate and daily storage rate may not exceed 135% of comparable WSP-negotiated rates, subject to older local ordinances preserved by statute.
- Notice rules (police and owner)
- At impoundment the operator must immediately notify the law-enforcement agency with jurisdiction, send written follow-up within 24 hours, and mail owner notice within 24 hours after impoundment for unauthorized vehicles or within 24 hours after owner information is received for abandoned vehicles.
- Who regulates tow companies
- Washington Department of Licensing licenses registered tow truck operators; Washington State Patrol conducts annual inspections and handles WSP-impound and tow-equipment complaint matters described on its tow page.
- File a towing complaint
- Official page →
Official resources in Washington
Official licensing page for registered tow truck operators, with contact information and complaint links.
State law limiting private-impound towing and storage rates for certain tow-truck classes.
State law on impound notice to law enforcement, owner-information timing, and written follow-up notice.
State law requiring mailed notice to registered and legal owners after impoundment.
Official WSP page explaining complaint jurisdiction and how to locate a vehicle impounded by WSP.
Key facts for Washington
- A registered tow truck operator must immediately notify the law-enforcement agency with jurisdiction at the time of impoundment.
- The initial impound notice to law enforcement must be followed by a written or electronic facsimile notice within twenty-four hours.
- For an unauthorized vehicle, the impounding tow operator must mail owner notice within twenty-four hours after impoundment.
- For an abandoned vehicle, the tow operator must mail notice of custody and sale within twenty-four hours after receiving owner information through the abandoned-vehicle report.
- For certain private impounds, the maximum towing hourly rate and daily storage rate may not exceed 135% of comparable WSP-negotiated rates.
- DOL says people can file complaints online, by email, or by mail against tow truck operators it licenses.
City towed-car lookups and impound lots in Washington
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Find a Towed Car King | Seattle | (206) 364-2000 | Official city page for finding a car towed from a Seattle street or private property; it gives the public-street tow contractor and non-emergency contact. |
| Seattle Municipal Court: My Car Got Towed King | Seattle | (206) 364-2000 | Official court page explaining how to find a towed vehicle and what is needed to get it out of impound. |
| Spokane Municipal Court Vehicle Towing & Impounds Spokane | Spokane | 509.625.4400 | Official city court page for impound hearings, filing deadlines, and towing-and-impound information. |
| Tacoma Municipal Code Title 11 - Traffic Pierce | Tacoma | Not published* | Official city code page covering impounded-vehicle redemption and post-impound hearings for Tacoma traffic-related impounds. |
| Vancouver Neighborhood Parking and Traffic Clark | Vancouver | 360-487-8626 | Official city page on parking and unauthorized vehicles; explains vehicles may be subject to tow on public right-of-way. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- If you think WSP ordered the impound, use the WSP tow page first; otherwise contact the city or county law-enforcement agency where the tow happened.
- Ask for the mailed impound notice and compare the tow and storage charges against the posted rate sheet and state limits.
- If the operator is DOL-licensed, file a DOL complaint and keep the authorization, rate sheet, notice, photos, and receipts.
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 Washington's population center, for comparison only):
- Police Services and Resources - Vehicle Releases, Oregon · about 135 miles
- Find my towed vehicle, Oregon · about 136 miles
- Towing Instructions and Info, Oregon · about 136 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Washington DOL Registered Tow Truck Operators
Website →Phone: (360) 705-6741 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: MRSC Washington city and town profiles →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Washington page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.