Boston has no single price that covers every tow. A city tow to the lot at 200 Frontage Road carries a published $90 fee. A private-property or police-ordered tow is capped by the state at $132 for the first five miles. A roadside tow you request yourself is quoted by the operator before dispatch. Figure out who ordered the tow before you compare any bill.
The three towing regimes in Greater Boston
Almost every question about tow cost turns on which of three situations you are in, and the price rules are different in each.
The first is a City of Boston tow. Police tows, snow-emergency tows, street-cleaning tows, and boot-list tows inside city limits run through the city and land at its own tow lot. The city publishes those fees.
The second is a suburban municipal impound. Cambridge, Somerville, Quincy, and every other town runs its own process through its own contracted company. Those charges follow the state maximum rates, not Boston’s.
The third is a private-property or police-ordered non-consensual tow, governed by Massachusetts law and priced at the state Department of Public Utilities maximum rates. That applies statewide, from a Back Bay apartment lot to a shoulder on the Mass Pike.
What the City of Boston lot charges
The city tow fee is $90. Storage is $3 per hour, capped at $15 per day. Those are the published city figures, and they apply to a tow that lands at 200 Frontage Road in South Boston.
To redeem the car you need a valid driver’s license, your license plate number, proof of active registration, and proof of insurance. The lot takes cash, money order, cashier’s check, or a debit or credit card, and a card adds a 2.5% processing fee.
The lot is staffed Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 10:30 PM, with automated kiosks running at all hours. Before you travel, check the plate at cityofboston.gov/towing/search, which covers tows from the past 15 days.
What the state caps a non-consensual tow at
A private-property trespass tow and a police-ordered tow are both capped by the Massachusetts DPU under 220 CMR 272. Those are maximums, not our prices, and they are uniform no matter the day or hour.
The base tow, up to five miles, is a maximum of $132, and that figure already includes the first hour of service or waiting time. Every mile past five is capped at $4.40. Storage at a lighted, fenced outdoor lot is capped at $35 per 24-hour period, and $17.50 for other outdoor storage. There is no gate fee and no after-hours fee anywhere in the regulation, so a bill that adds one is worth questioning.
There is one more protection worth knowing. Under M.G.L. c. 266 s. 120D, a company that tows from private property and fails any requirement of the law, such as proper signage or written notice to the police chief, must release the vehicle with no removal or storage charge at all.
What a roadside tow you request costs
When your own car breaks down and you call for a tow, that is a consensual job, and no state cap sets the price. The operator quotes it before the truck rolls, based on the work.
Quick Tow Boston does not set a flat rate. We connect drivers with independent local operators, and the operator gives the price before anyone is dispatched. To get an accurate quote, tell the operator these details up front.
- The exact pickup spot and where the car needs to go
- The year, make, model, and rough weight of the vehicle
- Whether the wheels roll and the steering works
- Whether the car is damaged, stuck, or blocked in
- Any garage-height or access limits at either end
A disabled sedan on the shoulder of I-93 is not the same job as a car wedged below a low bridge on Storrow Drive, and the quote reflects that. Ask what the price includes before you accept it.
How to keep the bill down
Move fast. Storage is the charge that grows, whether it is the city’s $15 a day or the DPU’s $35, so the day you retrieve the car matters more than almost anything else.
Bring every document the first time. A missing registration or insurance card can turn a same-day pickup into a second trip, and the meter runs while the car sits. If a private tow looks like it broke the signage or notice rules, raise M.G.L. c. 266 s. 120D on the spot, because a valid claim there means no charge at all.
Frequently asked questions
Does Quick Tow Boston publish a flat tow rate? No. We match drivers with independent operators, and the operator quotes the price before dispatch. The only dollar figures we publish are the public city fees and the state DPU maximums, each cited above.
Is the $90 fee the same in Cambridge or Quincy? No. The $90 is a City of Boston figure for the Frontage Road lot. A suburban impound follows the state DPU maximum rates, and you confirm the total with that town and its contracted lot.
Can a tow company charge me a gate fee for coming after hours? Not under 220 CMR 272. The regulation sets uniform rates by time of day and includes no gate or after-hours fee. Question any bill that adds one.
What if the private tow broke the signage rules? Under M.G.L. c. 266 s. 120D, a company that fails any provision of the private-property towing law must release the car with no removal or storage charge.
When to call us
Call when your vehicle is disabled and you need a local operator sent, not when you are locating or redeeming a car already in a lot. Quick Tow Boston connects drivers with independent operators across Greater Boston, and the operator quotes the price before anyone is dispatched. Calls are recorded after a notice. Reach the dispatch line at (857) 858-5057.