How much does it cost to get a car out of impound in Cambridge?
A plain-English guide to impound and storage costs in Cambridge: release fees, daily storage, the paperwork you need, and how to get your car back for less.
Why impound & storage fees costs what it does in Cambridge
A Cambridge or Somerville impound is not the Boston lot and does not use Boston's fees. The town runs its own lot and the charges are capped by the state Department of Public Utilities maximums in 220 CMR 272: a base tow up to five miles of no more than $132, $4.40 for each mile past five, and storage of no more than $35 per 24 hours at a fenced, lit lot or $17.50 otherwise. Cambridge posts a towed-vehicle lookup at cambridgema.gov; in Somerville the claim check is obtained at the police station at 220 Washington Street.
Cambridge runs its own impound, not the City of Boston lot, so a Boston city fee will not match here. Call the police department that ordered the tow and ask for the tow fee and the daily storage rate. A police-ordered or private-property non-consensual tow is capped by the Massachusetts DPU maximums in 220 CMR 272: up to $132 to tow within five miles, up to $4.40 a mile beyond, and up to $35 per 24 hours of storage at a lighted fenced lot or $17.50 otherwise. Those are state maximums, not a set price. Under M.G.L. c. 266 s. 120D a private-property tow taken without posted no-parking signs at every entrance and exit, or without written notice to the local police chief before removal, must be released with no removal or storage charge. Cambridge lists towed vehicles at cambridgema.gov, and its police are at 125 Sixth Street. The contracted tow company is not named here because it is not confirmed, so start with the city's lookup.
How we work Cambridge
Cambridge runs its own impound, not the City of Boston lot, and that changes the numbers. A non-consensual tow here follows the state DPU maximums, a base tow of up to $132 and storage up to $35 a day, and the plate lookup is at cambridgema.gov, with Cambridge police at 125 Sixth Street. Harvard and MIT drive the calendar, so student move-in and event parking press hard, and Cambridge runs some of the strictest permits in the metro. Memorial Drive has the low bridges where a too-tall rental truck gets Storrowed every year. The Alewife and Fresh Pond corner is one of the most congested stretches of road in Massachusetts, so breakdown and crash recovery cluster there. The operator we send covers the campuses, the river bridges and the Alewife crunch, and points you to the Cambridge process, not the Boston one.
Cost details for Cambridge
These details cover applicable pound or municipal fees in Cambridge. If the vehicle needs a tow after release, the operator quotes that separate job before dispatch based on the vehicle, access, distance, and requested service.
For applicable pound or municipal fees, use the details above. If you need a tow after release, call (857) 858-5057 for the operator's separate quote before dispatch.
Common Cambridge cost questions
How much does it cost to get my car out of impound in Cambridge?
Cambridge runs its own impound, which is not the City of Boston lot and does not use Boston's $90 fee, so a figure a neighbor quotes from a city tow won't match. Massachusetts caps what a non-consent tow may charge through the Department of Public Utilities in 220 CMR 272: a base tow within five miles of no more than $132, $4.40 for each mile past five, and storage of no more than $35 per 24 hours at a fenced, lit lot, or $17.50 otherwise. Call the department that ordered the tow and ask for its lot and its rate.
What do I need to get my impounded car back in Cambridge?
For the City of Boston lot you need a valid driver's license, your license plate number, proof of active registration and proof of insurance, and all charges paid; the city accepts cash, a money order, a cashier's check, or a debit or credit card with a 2.5% processing fee. A suburban impound sets its own list, so ask the department that ordered the tow what it needs before you drive over.
What happens if I don't pick up my car in Cambridge?
A town impound sets its own hours, and storage keeps running the whole time at up to $35 per 24 hours under the state ceiling, so the earlier you call the department that ordered the tow, the less it costs. Massachusetts also treats a vehicle left over 72 hours as abandoned under M.G.L. c. 90 s. 22C, and a private-property tow that skipped a required step, such as posted signs at every entrance and exit or written notice to the police chief, must be released with no charge under M.G.L. c. 266 s. 120D.
Can Quick Tow Boston get my car out of impound in Cambridge?
No, and it's worth being straight about that. We connect drivers with private tow and roadside operators; we aren't the city lot, the town or the police department holding your car, so we can't waive anyone's fees or release it faster. What we can do is help you work out who has it and what the process is, and line up an operator to move it once it's released. Call (857) 858-5057.
Related towing info for Cambridge
Impound & storage fees in the rest of the Cambridge & Somerville area
Need a tow after release in Cambridge?
Call the line for the operator's separate onward-tow quote before dispatch.