Towing fees and consumer rights in New Orleans

A tow requested directly from a business and a regulated non-consensual tow are not the same billing situation. The Louisiana PSC schedule covers police and private-property non-consensual tows; it also includes a tow an owner asks police or another public agency to initiate. This marketing referral site cannot set or decide a business’s bill.

Before authorizing a requested tow

Ask the business for the total or the calculation it will use: pickup, destination, distance, recovery work and any proposed storage. Keep the quote. The state’s non-consensual schedule is not an advertised price for a tow you arrange directly.

Check the applicable schedule, not a headline price

The PSC schedule opened for this guide is effective April 1, 2026. It lists outside storage at $34 and covered storage at $40.50 per calendar day for covered non-consensual jobs. These are schedule entries, not the complete bill or an offer from this site. Check the current schedule and applicable vehicle category before comparing charges.

Get the invoice before arguing over a total

The PSC requires an itemized invoice on request; payment is not required merely to obtain a copy. It must show dispatch and unhook times and how charges were calculated. For private-property tows, R.S. 32:1736 also requires an invoice and approved warning signs, with specific authorization and tagging exceptions.

Send the concern to the right agency

For a non-consensual rate complaint, the PSC schedule gives 1-888-342-5717 and written-complaint instructions. Keep the invoice and supporting records. Louisiana State Police’s Towing and Recovery Unit investigates towing and storage facility complaints; its published headquarters contact is 225-925-6113. Neither agency is this site’s dispatcher.