Free towing referral for the Denver metro
A Denver tow truck, with the full price before it rolls
Broke down on I-25, slid off a side street, or need a flatbed for the Subaru? One call reaches an independent towing company that works your part of town. You get its name and the total before anyone hooks up.
- You get the company name and can ask for its Colorado PUC permit.
- Car towed from a lot? The state caps that tow at $250.91 for most cars. Find your car
- The towing company pays us, so the call is free to you. How this works
- One total, up frontThe full price on the phone before the truck heads your way.
- A permit you can ask forEvery Colorado towing company needs a PUC permit. The PUC consumer line is (303) 894-2070.
- Photos before the hookTake your own, and ask the driver to take theirs.
- Your choice of shopThe car goes where you say, not to a yard by default.
- In a travel lane on a highway, or anyone hurt? Call 911 first. Turn on your hazard lights, and stay buckled in if you can't get well away from traffic.
- Know your spot. Cross streets, or the exit and your direction. On I-25 or E-470 that saves the driver a lot of searching.
- Ask for the total and the company name. One price for the whole job, and the PUC permit number if you want to check it.
Your insurance or a credit card may cover the tow. Check your coverage first. Car vanished from where you parked? Find out who towed it.
What we can help with
Towing and roadside help in Denver
From a dead battery in the driveway to a long tow back down I-70. Pick a job to see what it involves and what to ask.
- Car towingWon't start or won't steer? Towed to the shop you choose.
- Flatbed towingFor AWD cars and EVs, plus anything that won't roll.
- Jump starts and roadside fixesOften fixed where you sit, with no tow needed.
- Towing after a crashWho picks the truck, and where the car should go.
- Winch-outsStuck in snow or a ditch, and pulled back to solid ground.
- Long-distance towingBack down from the mountains, or across the metro.
- Car towed?Find it with the city Tow Tracker, and know your rights.
- Tow pricesWho sets the price, and the state caps.
Denver by the numbers
What makes towing in Denver different
56%
of Denver workers drive to work alone, and 71% do in Thornton (Census ACS 2020-2024). A dead car usually means a missed shift.
4
winter storm episodes a year across the metro's counties, 2016 to 2025, plus about 3 hail episodes with inch-wide stones (NOAA Storm Events).
$250.91
PUC cap on a private-property tow of a car under 10,000 pounds after the March 15, 2026 adjustment, plus capped mileage and storage.
10%
of Denver households have no car at all, and 51% rent. Shared lots and street parking mean more tows nobody asked for.
Our reading of public data as of October 28, 2026. Sources are listed on each guide.
How it works
One request, one local towing company
- Say where you are. Call or text us, or use the form. Give the location and the car. Say where it should go.
- A local towing company calls back. It gives you its business name and one total price for the job.
- You decide before the truck rolls. If the price at the scene is higher than the phone price, you can say no.
The numbers that are public
Tow prices and caps in Denver
A tow you call for is priced by the company, so ask for one total before the truck rolls. A tow you didn't ask for is capped by the state, and the city publishes its impound fees. These are those public numbers.
| What | Public number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tow from private property you did not ask for (vehicle of 10,000 lbs or less) | Up to $250.91 PUC maximum in the table effective March 15, 2026, plus capped mileage ($5.15 a loaded mile at most in October 2026). The PUC adjusts it every year. | Colorado PUC |
| You reach the car after it is hooked up, before it leaves (commercial lot) | Up to $97.70 drop charge From a residential lot, such as an apartment complex, the company can't charge a drop fee at all. | Colorado PUC |
| Storage after a private-property tow | Up to $48.19 per 24 hours Prorated by the hour, and only the first 24 hours until the required notice is sent. | Colorado PUC; HB22-1314 |
| Getting your belongings or the car out before paying in full | 15% of the bill or $60, whichever is less You sign a form that you still owe the rest. Ask within 30 days of the notice. | HB22-1314 |
| City of Denver impound, vehicle under 6,000 lbs | $120 tow, then $20 a day Over 6,000 lbs: $170 and $30 a day. No fees for a car reported stolen. | City and County of Denver |
What most towing sites leave out
Colorado has no towing license. It has a permit and rules.
Towing companies here don't hold a state license. They need a towing carrier permit from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, which also caps prices on tows the owner didn't ask for and takes complaints. In 2022 the legislature added a list of protections for drivers.
- Ask for the company's legal name and its PUC permit number.
- Get one total on the phone, with every fee in it.
- Take photos of the car before it is hooked up.
- Ask for an itemized bill. Colorado companies have to give you one on request.
- Towed from an apartment lot? Your things inside come back free if you ask within 30 days of the notice.
- No drop fee from a residential lot. On a commercial lot it is capped at $97.70.
Read before you call
Plain answers before you call
Short guides to what Denver drivers ask most: a towed car and prices, plus the rules and winter.
- Where did my car get towed?The city Tow Tracker, private lots, and what to bring.
- Colorado towing lawsYour rights after a tow you didn't ask for.
- What a tow costsWho sets the price, and the state caps that apply.
- How to avoid tow feesShrink the bill, and know when it must be refunded.
- Breaking down in winterCold batteries, snow slide-offs and the I-70 Traction Law.
Where we cover
Denver and the cities around it
From Capitol Hill and the Highlands out to Green Valley Ranch and the airport. East to Aurora, west to Lakewood and Arvada, north to Westminster and Thornton, south to Centennial and Littleton, and to Englewood.
Questions Denver drivers ask
Where did my car get towed in Denver?
Start with the city's Tow Tracker on denvergov.org, which searches by plate or VIN for cars taken to the City and County of Denver impound lot at 5160 York Street. If it isn't there, a private company probably towed it from a lot or an apartment complex. Look for the tow sign where you parked, or call the Denver police non-emergency line at (720) 913-2000. Colorado tow companies have to tell the state and the owner within 10 days, but you don't have to wait for the letter.
How do I avoid paying tow fees?
You usually can't avoid them, but you can keep them small. Get the car out fast, since storage runs by the day. Check the bill against the PUC's posted maximums for a private-property tow. If the car was reported stolen before the city towed it, Denver's impound charges no fees. And if a company broke the rules (no authorization, no photos, a tow over an expired plate without a police order), state law says it can't keep the fees, so file a complaint with the Colorado PUC.
Can I double tow in Colorado?
Pulling two trailers behind one vehicle is a question for Colorado's size and weight rules, which depend on the vehicles and the total length. We haven't found a plain-language state answer we would stake a page on, so ask the Colorado State Patrol before you hitch up. If you need a vehicle moved and don't want to risk it, a flatbed carries one car with no trailer rules for you to worry about.
What is the 80% rule for towing?
It is a rule of thumb for pulling a trailer, not a law: keep the loaded trailer at or under about 80% of your vehicle's rated towing capacity, to leave a margin for hills and summer heat, and for braking. Along the Front Range, with I-70's grades a short drive away, that margin matters. Your owner's manual has the real capacity number.
How much does a tow cost in Denver?
For a tow you call for, the company sets the price, usually a hook-up fee plus a per-mile charge, more for a flatbed or a winch-out, and more again in the middle of the night. Ask for one total before the truck leaves. For a tow you didn't ask for, the PUC caps it: $250.91 for a vehicle under 10,000 pounds after the March 15, 2026 adjustment, plus capped mileage and storage.
Back on the road, with no surprise on the bill
One request, one local towing company, the total before the truck rolls.