Wrecks and Insurance
Your Car Is in a Tow Yard After a Crash: What to Do
You got home from the crash and only later realized your car is in a tow yard somewhere, with a daily storage rate attached. Move fast on this one. Waiting is usually the most expensive thing you can do.
Here is what to do today, what Washington law gives you, and how to decide if the car is worth getting back.
Short answer
Call the yard today and ask what is owed, the daily storage rate and how the car was towed. Call your insurer if you have a claim. Get your belongings. Decide quickly, because an abandoned car not redeemed within fifteen days of the mailed notice of custody and sale goes to auction. Selling it now may not clear charges already on it.
Do these today
Find the car
The police report number or the officer’s card can help. Tow companies must send notice within 24 hours by first-class mail, so check your mail too.
Call the yard
Use the questions in the next section, and write down the answers along with the name of the person you spoke with.
Call your insurer, if you have a claim
Tell the adjuster where the car is. Ask whether your coverage pays for towing and storage, from what date, and whether they can move the car somewhere that does not charge storage.
Get your belongings
RCW 46.55.090 gives you 20 days to retrieve personal belongings, or 30 with a form. Viewing the vehicle is free.
Take photos
Do this while you are there. If there is a claim, they may help. Ask before you take anything off the car itself.
What to ask the yard
- Is this an impound, or storage at someone’s request? Who authorized the tow?
- Was it directed by law enforcement? Is there a hold on it?
- What do I owe as of today, and what is the daily rate?
- What ID and ownership papers do you need to release it?
- What forms of payment do you take? The statute lists cash, major credit cards and checks as tender.
- When was notice mailed, and what is the auction date if it goes that far?
- Can an insurer or buyer pick it up, and what would they need?
Some private impounds have a rate cap, but it may not help after a crash. For class A, D and E tow trucks, RCW 46.55.118 caps the hourly towing rate and the daily storage rate at 135 percent of the State Patrol negotiated maximum, and the after-hours release fee at 100 percent. The cap applies only if the car was parked and upright, with all its wheels and tires and no broken axle, and was not in an accident at the place it was towed from. It does not cover law enforcement impounds.
Your rights and deadlines
| Topic | What the law says |
|---|---|
| Redeeming the car | RCW 46.55.120 names who may redeem, including a purchaser with proof. It can be redeemed any time before auction. |
| Going to auction | An abandoned vehicle not redeemed within fifteen days of the mailed notice of custody and sale goes to auction. That notice comes later than the first one, after the 120-hour abandonment period. |
| Contesting the impound | The court must receive your written request, on the form the yard gives you, within ten days of when you get that notice and more than five days before auction. There is a filing fee. Read your notice the day you get it. |
| If the impound was improper | No fees are owed, and damages for loss of use are possible. |
| After the auction | Notice is published 3 to 10 days before auction. Surplus goes to DOL within 30 days and you have one year to claim it (RCW 46.55.130). |
| Any shortfall | A deficiency claim is limited to $500, or $1,000 for vehicles over 10,000 lb. The limit does not apply to law enforcement-directed impounds (RCW 46.55.140). |
The rules on who pays are in RCW 46.55.105. The last registered owner is presumed liable for removal, storage and disposal costs.
Selling does not simply erase the bill
Some people hope to sign the car over and walk away from the charges. RCW 46.55.105(4) draws a line: a sale before the impound puts costs on the buyer, and a sale after it leaves them on the previous owner. A properly filed Report of Sale helps, but it is not by itself proof when the named buyer did not know of or accept the sale. Keep a contract or receipt.
So do not file a Report of Sale naming someone who has not agreed to buy the car. A court that finds a report fraudulent notifies DOL, which may remove it.
Deciding if it is worth getting back
Compare what you would owe to release it today with what it would bring you, using real numbers.
- Insurer is paying: ask them to move it or take it. See what totaled means and selling before a claim settles.
- No coverage: read wrecked with no coverage.
- Bill is higher than the car is worth: read impounded and not worth getting back before you choose. Letting a car go to auction can still leave you with a claim for the shortfall.
If you have a serious dispute over who owes what, an attorney can read your paperwork with you.
Once you have it, or if you are done with it
A car that is out of the yard and yours to sell is something we can talk about. We tow for free, flatbed, and pay cash at pickup, as described on our wrecked car page. For a car that is still in a tow yard, call us at (206) 941-0612 and tell us what you have, and we will tell you whether we can take it. Charges owed to the yard would need sorting out with the yard first.
Common questions
Official sources
- RCW 46.12.652: Fraudulent report of sale
- RCW 46.55.090: Storage and access to belongings
- RCW 46.55.105: Owner responsibility for impound costs
- RCW 46.55.110: Notice of impound
- RCW 46.55.118: Private impound rates
- RCW 46.55.120: Redeeming an impounded vehicle
- RCW 46.55.130: Impound auctions
- RCW 46.55.140: Tow operator lien and deficiency
This post summarizes official Washington guidance as of November 2, 2026. It is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees can change, so check the sources above for your situation.
Keep reading
- Washington Junk Car Seller’s GuideEvery guide, sorted by where you are in the decision
- Washington Junk Car Paperwork GuideThe documents you need before pickup
- You Owe More Than Your Wrecked Car Is Worth: Options
- Car Hit While Parked: Claim, Repair or Junk?
- Can You Sell a Wrecked Car Before the Claim Settles?
- Totaled Car in Washington: Keep It or Let It Go?
- What “Totaled” Really Means in Washington
- How to Dispute a Total Loss Offer in Washington
How we can help
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They made it so easy and fast! I called them gave them all the details and they came within the hour towed the car and gave us cash on the spot will definitely recommend them :)
Very fast service. The tow truck driver was very skilled at getting my SUV out of a tight spot. I appreciate how easy it was to work with this company. Highly recommend 💞
Fast same day service. I just had to make sure we had the title and the truck was clean and we were good to go! Thanks for getting rid of our old truck for free.
If you have any questions please call us at 206-941-0612