Yes, your car can be towed for expired registration in Texas, and El Paso police list it as a tow reason on public streets. The El Paso Police Department lists expired registration among the reasons it may tow a vehicle. The rules differ a lot between a city street and a private apartment lot, so where you parked decides almost everything.
Quick Tow EP is a referral service. We connect drivers with independent local tow operators. The driver hires and pays the operator directly, and the operator quotes the price. Quick Tow EP does no towing, roadside work or storage itself.
First, the Texas rule on expired registration
Registration expires on the last day of the month on your sticker, per TxDMV. Driving with it expired becomes an offense after the fifth working day past that date under Transportation Code Section 502.407. A justice of the peace or municipal judge may dismiss the charge if you renew by the 20th working day after the offense or before your first court appearance, whichever is later, and pay a reimbursement fee of up to $20 under that same section.
That is the ticket side. The tow side is separate, and it depends on where the car sits.
Can police tow your car for expired registration in El Paso?
Yes. The El Paso Police Department lists four reasons it may tow a vehicle: it was parked illegally or appeared abandoned, it was in an accident or is unsafe to drive, the driver was arrested or has no driver’s license, or the registration was expired. Private-lot tows are different: a parking facility owner may have an unauthorized vehicle towed only under the conditions in Occupations Code Sections 2308.251 and 2308.255, which require compliant signs posted at the time of towing and for the preceding 24 hours, actual notice, or a windshield notice plus certified-mail notice, and written verification from the parking facility owner to the towing company.
If EPPD towed the car, it may be at the City of El Paso Municipal Vehicle Storage Facility at 11615 Railroad Drive, El Paso, Texas 79934. The phone is (915) 212-0205 and it is open 24 hours, per URVMS. You can call or search the URVMS online vehicle database, which lists stored vehicles and their charges.
What changes at an apartment complex
A private apartment lot plays by different rules. Under Occupations Code Section 2308.253, an apartment lot may not tow a car merely for expired plates or registration unless a contract provision requires at least 10 days’ written notice to the owner, delivered in person, by certified mail, or attached to the windshield or driver’s window, with a 24-hour phone number. Lease terms that conflict with that section are void.
Your landlord also has notice duties. Property Code Section 92.0131 requires towing and parking rules to be handed to the tenant before the lease is signed, under a heading marked “Parking” or “Parking Rules” in bold, capitals or underline. Mid-lease changes need written notice, must apply to all tenants for listed reasons or have the tenant’s written consent, and cannot take effect before the 14th day after notice except for a construction or utility emergency.
A landlord who breaks those notice rules owes a $100 civil penalty under Property Code Section 92.0131, plus your towing and storage costs. So if your car vanished from your apartment lot over tags, read your lease and photograph every sign before you pay anyone.
Steps to take when your car is gone
Work in this order. It saves money and protects a challenge later.
- Confirm where the car was parked and which jurisdiction controls. A Downtown street, a lot near Fort Bliss and a private complex off Mesa Street are three different situations.
- Bring photo ID and one proof of ownership, and be ready to pay the towing and storage fees, per TDLR.
- Search the official towed-vehicle lookup for that area. For city tows, use the URVMS database or call (915) 212-0205.
- If the car is not listed, call the non-emergency line with the plate, VIN and exact location.
- Ask the operator the recorded reason for removal and the time it was taken.
- Photograph signs, entrances, notices and the parking space.
- Request an itemized bill and keep every receipt and record.
- Call (915) 212-0205 before visiting, because some vehicles have a hold and cannot be released, per URVMS.
- Note the challenge deadline and file if notice rules were broken.
What to bring to the lot
URVMS says the owner must bring a valid federal or state photo ID and one of registration, title or insurance, plus the balance owed. A power of attorney, court order or rental agreement may also work. Non-owners acting for the owner should call (915) 212-0205 to learn what extra documents they need. Call before visiting, because some vehicles have a hold and cannot be released.
Statewide, TDLR lists accepted ID and proof of ownership. Your checklist:
- Photo ID: any state driver’s license or ID, any federal photo ID, or a foreign government photo ID such as a Mexico driver’s license or matricula consular.
- Proof of ownership, any one of: a driver’s license matching the registration record, an insurance card naming you, the title, a notarized power of attorney, a tax collector’s receipt plus renewal card, a current lease or rental agreement, or TDLR’s Personal Vehicle Owner Removal and Inspection form.
- Payment for the balance, since URVMS accepts cash and Discover, Mastercard and Visa, with a 1.98% government fee added for credit cards.
A storage facility may not refuse release just because your ID shows a different address than the title and registration, under Occupations Code Section 2303.160. If the papers proving identity or ownership are in the glove box or console, the facility must let you get to them under Section 2303.158.
What a tow and storage can legally cost
Inside El Paso city limits, City Code Section 12.54.020 caps the tow portion of a nonconsent tow at $100.00 for a light duty tow (gross vehicle weight rating not more than 10,000 lbs), per the El Paso towing ordinance. Section 12.54.020(B) allows up to $25 more for dollies or go-jacks. For a vehicle over 10,000 lbs, Section 12.54.020(C) allows up to $55 per hour for each hour over two hours if the tow takes longer than two hours from arrival at the scene to completion, plus the operator’s actual cost if cargo must be moved by hand. Under Section 12.54.060, when a vehicle towed on a police-ordered tow is released from a storage facility, an additional $20 fee is collected and remitted to the police department; and a vehicle towed to a city-owned vehicle storage facility is charged a $20 impoundment fee before release.
Storage is separate and set by TDLR. Daily storage is $22.85 per day or part of a day for a vehicle 25 feet or less and $39.99 for longer, per the 2023 adjustment. A day begins and ends at midnight, and a facility may not charge more than one day of storage if the vehicle is there less than 12 hours. For a Texas-registered vehicle, a facility may not charge more than five days of storage unless owner notice was mailed or published. TDLR also lists a notification fee of up to $50, not allowed if you reclaim within 24 hours or before notice is sent. The impoundment fee may not exceed $20 and applies only when the facility had to protect a car with broken or open doors, windows, trunk, hood or similar, plus an inventory or registration lookup, and the bill must list the exact services.
Outside city limits, in Socorro, Horizon City, Canutillo, Fabens, Clint, San Elizario, Vinton or Tornillo, Chapter 12.54 does not apply. TDLR statewide maximums govern there unless a local rule sets lower ones.
Fighting a tow that broke the rules
Start with the operator’s recorded reason and your photos. If compliant signs were not posted at the time of towing and for the preceding 24 hours, or the apartment contract’s 10 day written notice was not given where a contract provision requires it, or the charge exceeded the city cap, you may have grounds, and a justice court decides probable cause and overcharges. Ask the lot for an itemized bill the same day and keep it.
The written request must reach the court before the 14th day after the car was placed in storage, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. If the required notice was never given, the deadline does not apply, and the 14 days do not start until the tow company or storage facility gives you the information needed to fill out the request. Missing the deadline waives the hearing.
Frequently asked questions
My registration expired. Can my car actually be towed for that?
Yes. El Paso police list expired registration as a tow reason, and Texas law makes driving on it an offense after the fifth working day past expiration. On a private apartment lot, a tow for tags alone needs a lease clause plus 10 days’ written notice under Occupations Code Section 2308.253.
My car vanished from my apartment lot. Where do I look first?
Call the apartment office and ask whether they ordered a tow and which company they use. Then search the URVMS database or call (915) 212-0205 for city storage. Photograph the signs and your parking space before anything else.
Do I have to pay my tickets before I can get my car back?
Call (915) 212-0205 before visiting, because some vehicles have a hold and cannot be released, per URVMS. Get the answer in writing so you know what to pay and in what order.
How much can a storage lot legally charge me per day?
TDLR sets daily storage at $22.85 for a vehicle 25 feet or less and $39.99 for longer, after the 2023 adjustment. A day begins and ends at midnight, and a facility may not charge more than one day of storage if the vehicle is there less than 12 hours.
The tow sign was missing. Can I get my money back?
Possibly. At the hearing the burden of proof is on the person who asked for it, and the issues are probable cause, including whether compliant signs were posted, and whether the charge exceeded the allowed amount. If the court finds no probable cause, the tow company, storage facility, parking facility owner or agency that authorized the tow must pay or reimburse towing and storage costs. Keep photos, the itemized bill and your receipts, and ask about the challenge deadline.
Can I grab my belongings from the car without paying?
Ask the facility first. Under Occupations Code Section 2303.158, if the papers proving identity or ownership are in the glove box or console, the storage facility must let you get to them. At the facility you may access the car to get ownership documents and recover personal property without a fee, but you may not remove or dismantle any part attached to the car. Bring photo ID and proof of ownership either way.
When to call for a tow
If your car will not start after sitting, if it needs to move to a shop for emissions work, or if it has to leave a spot before a deadline, a tow operator is the right call. Call (915) 320-5573 and Quick Tow EP will connect you with an independent local tow operator.