Never risk parking in illegal parking zones, as it is unlawful and can cause you to incur hefty towing fees.

What to Do If Your Car Gets Towed

Often times in busy or crowded areas, available parking space is not easy to find. This leads many drivers to give into the temptation to park illegally or park past the time allotted on the parking space sign. Usually you will get nothing more than a ticket for these infractions, but in other cases, it could lead to your car getting towed. If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re wondering what to do if your car gets towed, and we have some answers.

On the other hand, if you’re reading this wondering if the consequences of a towed car are worth the risk to park in a restricted spot, just don’t do it. Not only is it unlawful, but as you’ll soon find out, having your vehicle towed can turn into a major hassle.

What Happens When Your Car Gets Towed

1. This isn’t necessarily typical, but if you’re lucky, a tow truck may have simply been called in to move your vehicle to a legal parking space. This depends on where you’ve parked, and though it may seem rare, it’s not unheard of.
2. In other cases, it’s likely that your vehicle has been impounded. Sometimes you might notice a phone number posted for the towing company that has your vehicle. Many times, however, you will have to do some investigating.

So, what do you do if your vehicle gets towed? The first thing you can do is to contact your local police department. Of course, you don’t want to call the emergency number, so look up their main local phone line and there’s a decent chance they will be able to tell you if your vehicle has been impounded. You could also call around to different towing companies yourself if you choose. Either way, though you may eventually be contacted about your vehicle’s seizure, it’s best to be proactive and hunt down the vehicle right away to avoid additional storage fees.

[Read more: Learn what to do if you’ve locked yourself out of your car]

Things to Know When Your Car Gets Towed

There are a few things to know about when getting your car towed in such a manner, and yes, storage fees are one of them.

1. Storage Fees: Once your figure out who has your car, you’ll want to pick it up right away. The longer it’s in the impound the more you’ll have to pay to get it out, and if you wait too long, it could end up getting auctioned.
2. Documents: Some documents you’ll want to make sure you have when picking up your vehicle include your driver’s license, proof of insurance and vehicle registration.
3. Bring Cash: Generally checks won’t be accepted for payment so bring cash along.

Now, this is just a simple guide, and towing laws, regulations and practices may differ depending on your state or location. Therefore, you’ll want to be sure to contact the proper authorities to learn about the specific details to towing practices in your location, especially if your vehicle has been towed for reasons other than parking in a restricted parking space, such as for unpaid tickets.

Now that you have some information on what to do if your car gets towed, be sure to return to the Mazda of Lodi blog for all your Mazda news, or check out our other automotive tips and tricks.

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