Texas Towing Laws | What Property Owners Need To Know
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Here’s the part that catches most property owners off guard: when a tow goes wrong in Texas, the legal exposure usually doesn’t land on the tow truck driver. It lands on the owner or manager of the lot the vehicle came from. Understanding these rules isn’t busywork — it’s the difference between a routine removal and a courtroom.
The Two Laws That Govern Texas Towing
Private-property towing in Texas runs on two statutes, both enforced by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR):
Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2308
The Towing and Booting Act. This governs the tow itself: who can do it, what has to be posted, how vehicles can be authorized for removal, and what can be charged.
Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2303
The Vehicle Storage Facilities Act. This governs the impound lot where the vehicle ends up, including storage fees, notices, and release.
One more thing worth knowing: cities and counties can layer their own rules on top of state law — including setting their own caps on nonconsent tow fees. So the rules in Fort Worth aren’t always identical to the rules in Mesquite or Denton. A “nonconsent tow,” for the record, is any tow done without the vehicle owner’s permission — which is exactly what every tow from your lot is.
Who Has to Be Licensed
Texas doesn’t let just anyone hook a vehicle and haul it off. Under the law, a person may not perform towing operations or operate a towing company without holding the appropriate TDLR license. The same goes for the impound lot — the vehicle storage facility and the people working in it must be licensed too.
Why does this matter to you as the property owner? Because if you authorize a tow by an unlicensed operator, you’ve now attached your property to an illegal removal. When you work with a properly licensed company, every tow carries a paper trail tied to a real license number — which is precisely what protects you if a removal is ever questioned.
This is why we put our credentials in writing on every engagement — and why every vehicle we remove is delivered to a licensed, TDLR-regulated vehicle storage facility.
Signage: The Rule Almost Everyone Gets Wrong
This is the single most common compliance gap we find when we walk DFW lots. Texas law is specific about how a parking facility has to be signed before any unauthorized vehicle can be legally towed. Get this wrong, and even a perfectly justified tow can be ruled improper.
What the law generally requires
A sign facing each entrance to the parking facility, so a driver sees it on the way in.
The international towing symbol, displayed prominently in bright red.
Clear language stating that unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the owner's or operator's expense.
A 24-hour telephone number the vehicle owner can call to locate and recover the vehicle.
Lettering and sign dimensions that meet the minimum sizes set by statute and TDLR rule (commonly produced at 18″ × 24″ or larger).
Signs installed and in place before enforcement begins — new restrictions generally require posting in advance, not the day you start towing.
Because the exact dimensions, colors, and lettering heights are spelled out in the statute and TDLR rules — and can be updated — this is exactly the kind of thing worth having reviewed rather than guessed at. It’s the first thing we check in a free on-site compliance walkthrough.
You Need Written Authorization for Every Tow
A towing company can’t legally remove an unauthorized vehicle from your property on a verbal “go ahead.” Texas requires written verification from the property owner or an authorized agent before a nonconsent tow from a parking facility.
In practice, that means there should be a signed authorization on file — either a standing agreement for ongoing enforcement or a per-vehicle authorization — that documents who approved the removal and why. When that paperwork doesn’t exist, a disputed tow stops being the towing company’s problem and becomes the property owner’s.
Every tow we perform is backed by proper written authorization and full documentation, so the answer to “who approved this?” is never a shrug. That’s a core piece of how we manage apartment and HOA enforcement.
What You Can’t Tow For
It’s just as important to know the limits. A common mistake — especially at apartment complexes — is towing a resident’s vehicle solely because its registration or license plate is expired. Texas law restricts towing a vehicle from an apartment complex only on that basis.
This is the kind of well-intentioned overreach that turns into a complaint, a TDLR inquiry, or a lawsuit. Knowing where the line sits keeps enforcement firm and defensible — which is the balance that actually protects your community.
Fees and the Conflict-of-Interest Ban
Two rules in this area surprise property owners more than any others:
Capped fees
No kickbacks
It’s also why our parking management is structured at no cost to the property owner — the violator pays the regulated fee, and you don’t receive a kickback that would put you on the wrong side of this rule.
The Vehicle Owner’s Right to a Tow Hearing
Anyone whose vehicle is towed without consent has the right to request a hearing in a justice court to determine whether there was probable cause for the tow and whether the fees charged were lawful. The request generally must be filed within 14 days of the tow.
At that hearing, the documentation is everything. Compliant signage, written authorization, accurate fees, and a clear enforcement record are what carry the day. A property owner working with a company that keeps none of that paperwork is the one left exposed.
For vehicle owners trying to recover a car, our vehicle release requirements page lays out the process plainly — transparency that, not coincidentally, reduces disputes before they ever reach a courtroom.
Where the Liability Actually Lands
Here’s the line that should reframe how you think about all of the above: under Texas law, a towing company, booting company, or parking facility owner who violates the chapter — including the signage rules — can be held civilly liable to the vehicle owner.
Read that again: parking facility owner. Signage compliance, in particular, is addressed through these civil-liability provisions rather than the tow hearing itself — meaning a non-compliant sign can expose you to liability separately from whether the tow had probable cause.
That’s the whole philosophy behind how Texas Towaway operates: we treat your compliance as our job, because under the law, your exposure is the real risk.
QUICK REFERENCE: THE STATUTES THAT MATTER
Common Questions From DFW Property Owners
§ 2308
Texas Towing Law — Most DFW lots aren’t fully compliant
$500+
Average fine per ADA parking violation in Texas
$0
Cost to property owners who partner with Texas Towaway