Start with the city plate lookup before you assume the worst. Go to cityofboston.gov/towing/search, enter at least three characters of your plate, and it will show any city tow from the past 15 days. If the car was taken from Boston streets, it is almost certainly at the city tow lot, 200 Frontage Road. If nothing shows, the tow may have been a suburb or a private lot, which run on different systems.
Figure out who towed it
Greater Boston has three separate towing systems, and the search path is different for each. Guessing wrong sends you across the city for nothing.
A City of Boston tow covers police tows, snow-emergency tows, street-cleaning tows, and boot-list tows inside city limits. These land at 200 Frontage Road and show up in the city plate lookup.
A suburban municipal impound is a car taken in Cambridge, Somerville, Quincy, or another town. It is not in the Boston lot or the Boston lookup. You contact that town’s police or impound office.
A private-property tow is a car pulled from an apartment, retail, or commercial lot under M.G.L. c. 266 s. 120D. The company that towed it must have posted a sign at the lot entrance with its name and contact information, so read the sign to find the car.
Get into the Boston lot at 200 Frontage Road
Once the lookup confirms a city tow, head to 200 Frontage Road, Boston, MA 02118. The lot is staffed Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 10:30 PM, and automated kiosks run at all hours, so an overnight pickup is possible.
If you do not know your plate or the lookup is unclear, the city gives two numbers. The tow lot itself is 617-635-3900, and the Boston Police tow line is 617-343-4629. Both are public city lines, so call before you travel.
Bring four things every time: a valid driver’s license, your license plate number, proof of active registration, and proof of insurance. Without all four, the lot cannot release the car, and the storage clock keeps running while you go back for a document.
What it costs and how fast it grows
The city tow fee is $90. Storage is $3 per hour, capped at $15 per day. The lot accepts cash, money order, cashier’s check, or a card, and a card adds a 2.5% processing fee.
Storage is the part that grows, so the day you pick the car up matters. A suburban impound instead follows the state DPU maximum rates, up to $132 for the tow and $35 per day for storage, which is why confirming who towed the car changes the bill.
When the lookup shows nothing
A blank result is not proof of theft. Recheck the plate characters first, then work through the other two systems before you call the police.
If the car vanished from a private lot, find the towing sign at the entrance and call the company named on it. Massachusetts law requires that sign and requires the property owner to have notified the local police chief in writing before any tow, so the police station for that neighborhood may also know who holds the car.
If the car was in a suburb, use that town’s process. Cambridge posts a lookup at cambridgema.gov and holds cars through its contracted company at DPU rates. Somerville issues a claim check at the police station, 220 Washington Street. Quincy releases cars Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Only after the city, the property company, and the local police all have no record should you report the car stolen to the police for its last known location.
Frequently asked questions
What documents do I need to get my car from 200 Frontage Road? A valid driver’s license, your license plate number, proof of active registration, and proof of insurance. Bring all four, because the lot cannot release the car without them.
How far back does the Boston plate lookup go? The lookup at cityofboston.gov/towing/search covers city tows from the past 15 days. Enter at least three characters of the plate.
Can someone else pick up my car for me? The lot releases to a person who presents the required documents and can drive the car out legally. Call the tow lot at 617-635-3900 first to confirm what they need for a third party, since requirements can vary by situation.
My car was towed in Cambridge, not Boston. Where is it? Not at 200 Frontage Road. Cambridge runs its own impound at DPU maximum rates, with a lookup at cambridgema.gov. Start there rather than the Boston lookup.
When to call us
Call when the car is out of the lot but cannot be driven safely, or when it broke down and needs a local operator sent. Quick Tow Boston connects drivers with independent operators across Greater Boston, with the price quoted before dispatch. Calls are recorded after a notice. Reach the dispatch line at (857) 858-5057.