State guide
West Virginia
West Virginia does not appear to offer a public statewide towed-vehicle lookup on the WV.gov, DMV, or State Police pages reviewed. State law and PSC materials instead focus on police notification, abandoned-vehicle title procedures, and PSC regulation of third-party tow and storage rates.
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
- No statewide public towed-vehicle search was found on the official state pages reviewed.
- State rules on tow and storage fees
- West Virginia regulates third-party tow and storage charges through PSC-approved tariffs and maximum statewide wrecker rates; PSC says those tariff charges are the only legal charges for third-party tows and storage.
- Notice rules (police and owner)
- For private-property removals, the remover must notify the West Virginia State Police, and if the tow is within a municipality, also notify that municipal police department; no statewide owner-notice deadline for ordinary private-property tows was found on the pages reviewed.
- Who regulates tow companies
- Public Service Commission of West Virginia, Transportation Division, Motor Carrier Section.
Official resources in West Virginia
WV PSC Intrastate Wrecker Application Instructions
PSC page explaining that third-party tow and storage rates are PSC-regulated and must match the PSC-approved tariff.
WV DMV Titles page
DMV page stating who may apply for abandoned vehicle titles in West Virginia.
Key facts for West Virginia
- A private-property remover must notify the West Virginia State Police, and also municipal police if the tow occurs within a municipality.
- WV PSC says third-party tow and storage rates are regulated by the commission and must match each company’s PSC-approved tariff.
- PSC complaint instructions say the commission helps resolve customer disputes involving third party towing cases.
- The WV DMV abandoned-vehicle notice says owners and lienholders have 10 days from receipt to reclaim the vehicle and pay towing, preservation, and storage charges.
- The DMV titles page says only licensed WV towing companies, dealers, repair facilities, auto auctions, and salvage yards may apply for abandoned vehicle titles.
City towed-car lookups and impound lots in West Virginia
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston Police Department Records Division Kanawha | Charleston | 304-348-6400 | Records unit for Charleston Police; useful if a vehicle was impounded by city police. |
| Huntington Police Department Cabell | Huntington | 304.696.5540 | Main city police department page for Huntington. |
| Morgantown Police Department Monongalia | Morgantown | 304-284-7522, ext. 0 | City police contact page listing lobby hours and non-emergency 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 was towed from private property, first contact the local police agency and West Virginia State Police to confirm where it was taken.
- If fees or conduct involve a third-party tow, gather the tow bill and file an informal PSC complaint online or by phone.
- If you receive a DMV abandoned-vehicle notice, act within the 10-day reclaim period shown on the state 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 West Virginia's population center, for comparison only):
- Operations Branch - Tow Pound, Pennsylvania · about 117 miles
- Impound Lot, Ohio · about 143 miles
- Impound Lot, Ohio · about 150 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.WV PSC Intrastate Wrecker Application Instructions
Website →Phone: (800) 247-8789 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: County Commissioners' Association of West Virginia →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the West 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.