🔧 Fort Wayne, Indiana · After the Tow Guide · 2026
What Happens to Your Car After It’s Towed in Indiana?
Private tow, police impound, accident tow — the process after your car gets loaded varies significantly depending on how and why it was towed. Here’s what happens in each situation and what your rights are under Indiana law.
Three types of tow — three different processes afterward
The experience after a tow depends almost entirely on whether you called the towing company yourself, whether police called it, or whether it happened from a private property. These three situations have very different implications for where the car goes, how you get it back, and what you’re legally required to pay.
| Tow type | Who decided | Where the car goes | Getting it back |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private call (you arranged it) | You | Wherever you specified — your shop, dealership, or home | No retrieval process — you specified the destination |
| Police-dispatched (accident or traffic stop) | Police department | Impound lot or contracted facility | Pay tow fee + storage, retrieve with valid ID and title |
| Private property tow (parking enforcement) | Property owner | Towing company’s lot | Pay tow and storage — rights under HEA 1390 apply |
Private call: what happens from pickup to delivery
When you call us, the process is straightforward: you give us the pickup location and the delivery address, we quote the price, you confirm, we dispatch. The driver photographs the vehicle’s condition before loading — that documentation protects both of you if there’s any question about pre-existing damage.
The vehicle is loaded on the flatbed or wheel-lift (depending on type and situation), secured with soft-tie wheel straps, and transported directly to the address you provided. No storage, no impound lot, no additional fees beyond what was quoted. The driver delivers to your mechanic, the dealership on Coldwater Road, your driveway in Aboite, or wherever you specified.
You receive an itemized invoice at or after delivery — required under Indiana HEA 1390 (2025). Keep this for any insurance reimbursement claim.
Police impound: a different situation with more steps
If police dispatch a tow after an accident or traffic stop, the vehicle typically goes to an impound lot rather than a shop of your choice. To retrieve it, you’ll need: valid ID, proof of ownership (title or registration), and payment of the tow fee plus any accrued storage charges. Storage fees in Indiana typically run $20-50 per day and start accruing from the time the vehicle arrives at the lot.
If you dispute any charge on a police-dispatched tow, Indiana HEA 1390 (2025) gives you the right to pay 70% of the contested amount and retrieve your vehicle while the complaint is investigated. The facility cannot hold the vehicle until the full disputed amount is paid as long as you’ve paid the 70%.
The one thing to do immediately after a police-dispatched tow: call the impound facility and ask about daily storage rates. Then retrieve the vehicle as quickly as possible — storage fees accrue daily and the total can grow significantly within a week.
Your rights after any tow in Indiana
- Itemized invoice: every towing company must provide one — not a total, a breakdown of every charge (HEA 1390, 2025)
- Destination choice: on a private call, you always specify where the vehicle goes — a towing company cannot take it somewhere else without your consent
- 70% rule: if you dispute any charge, you can pay 70% to retrieve your vehicle while the complaint is investigated
- Personal property access: even at an impound facility, Indiana law requires access to personal property in a towed vehicle
- No hidden charges: all charges must be disclosed in the itemized invoice before you pay — no surprise fees added after the fact
After the tow — what happens to your car
Generally yes, but the process depends on why the car was towed. For a private call — you arranged the tow yourself — the car goes where you specified, and retrieving belongings is straightforward. For an impound situation (police-ordered), Indiana law requires the impound facility to allow you access to personal property, typically within 24 hours of the tow. Call the facility directly and ask about their access procedure.
They can, and this is one of the common complaints about impound situations. Under Indiana HEA 1390 (2025), towing companies must provide itemized invoices including storage charges. If you have a vehicle in storage after an impound, contact the facility immediately to understand the daily rate and retrieve the vehicle as soon as possible to minimize accrual. Storage fees in Indiana typically run $20-50 per day.
A good towing company photographs the vehicle before loading — that documentation is your protection and theirs. If damage appears after a tow, compare the post-tow condition to the driver’s pickup photos. If the damage is clearly new and documented, file a claim with the towing company’s liability insurance. Our TROCP-certified drivers document vehicle condition at every pickup for exactly this reason.
Always — this is your right under Indiana law. On a private call, you specify the destination before we dispatch. After an accident, you choose the repair shop even if insurance has a preferred vendor list. We don’t steer cars toward specific shops and we don’t have referral arrangements with any repair facility. Your mechanic on Lima Road or your dealership on Coldwater — wherever you say, that’s where it goes.
Need a tow to a specific location in Fort Wayne?
You choose the destination. Your shop, your dealership, your driveway — wherever you say. One call, flat price, TROCP-certified driver.
