How much does it cost to get a car out of impound in Chelsea?
A plain-English guide to impound and storage costs in Chelsea: 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 Chelsea
Chelsea, Revere, Everett and the rest of the near North Shore each run their own impound, so a figure a neighbor quotes from a Boston tow does not apply. Massachusetts caps the charges through the Department of Public Utilities in 220 CMR 272: up to $132 for a base tow within five miles, $4.40 for each mile past five, and up to $35 per 24 hours of storage at a fenced, lit lot, or $17.50 otherwise. Call the department that ordered the tow and ask which lot has it.
Chelsea 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. Se habla espanol. Chelsea is a separate city, so its tow goes to Chelsea's own contracted lot, not the Boston lot, even though Boston is right across the Tobin Bridge.
How we work Chelsea
Chelsea is the Tobin Bridge gateway, the point where Route 1 crosses into the city, with fast access to Logan just across the water. It is about 66 percent Latino, the highest share in the metro, and heavily Salvadoran, so Spanish is how most drivers here reach a dispatcher, and every page of this site reads and answers in Spanish. The city is small, dense and low on off-street parking, which keeps residential tows, lockouts and dead batteries constant, and the bridge and highway traffic adds breakdown work on top. As its own city, Chelsea's tows follow the state DPU maximum rates, a base tow up to $132 and storage up to $35 a day, not the Boston lot fees. The operator we send covers the bridge approach and the dense streets, and takes the call in Spanish.
Cost details for Chelsea
These details cover applicable pound or municipal fees in Chelsea. 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 Chelsea cost questions
How much does it cost to get my car out of impound in Chelsea?
Chelsea 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 Chelsea?
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 Chelsea?
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 Chelsea?
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 Chelsea
Need a tow after release in Chelsea?
Call the line for the operator's separate onward-tow quote before dispatch.