Car towed from private property in Upper Darby
Your car got towed from a lot or apartment complex in Upper Darby. Here is what Pennsylvania law actually requires before that is allowed.
What Pennsylvania law says
A tow from private property is not a PPA parking tow and it is not a police impound. In Pennsylvania it is governed by the Towing and Towing Storage Facility Standards Act, 73 P.S. section 1971 and following. The storage facility has to post fees, storage fees, service fees and hours; it may not refuse to release the vehicle during posted hours once you pay; and charges have to be itemized in writing. A tower may not haul a vehicle more than 16 miles without owner or law-enforcement authorization. Inside Philadelphia, Philadelphia Code 9-605 adds city rules: only a licensed company may tow from private property, and it needs the property owner's written permission. 9-605 also requires a police stolen-check before towing a disabled vehicle whose owner is not there, and it forbids wreck-chasing. This brand is a referral service. It holds no PUC Certificate of Public Convenience and no PennDOT towing registration, because it performs no towing.
How it works in Upper Darby
- 1 Confirm it was a private-lot tow, not a PPA or police tow
If the vehicle was on a public street in Philadelphia, start at findmytowedcar.org. Private-property tows only cover vehicles taken from private property at the property owner's direction.
- 2 Ask for the posted fee list and the hours
73 P.S. 1971 requires the storage facility to post fees, storage fees, service fees and hours. It may not refuse to release the vehicle during posted hours once you pay for the services. Get the charges in writing, itemized.
- 3 Check the 16-mile rule
A tower may not tow a vehicle more than 16 miles without authorization from the owner or from law enforcement. Ask where the car went and how far that is from the lot it left.
- 4 Inside Philadelphia, check 9-605
Only a licensed company may tow from private property in the city, and it needs prior written permission from the property owner. The company may not solicit the tow. A disabled vehicle whose owner is absent also needs a police stolen-check before it is towed.
- 5 Do not assume a passenger-car price cap
Philadelphia publishes a private-property cap for vehicles over 17,000 pounds: $360 to tow and $75 per 24 hours storage. A standard passenger-vehicle private-property cap has not been confirmed, so this site does not print one. Use the posted, itemized charges.
- 6 Complain on the right statute
A 73 P.S. 1971 violation is a violation of the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law. From December 17, 2026, Act 46 of 2026 adds statewide towing standards and new penalties, including Crimes Code section 7332. We are not the tower and we are not the regulator.
What this looks like around Upper Darby
69th Street, Baltimore Pike retail, Springfield Mall and Subaru Park lots are municipal or private depending on who ordered the tow. If it came off a private lot, 73 P.S. 1971 is the statute: posted fees and hours, itemized charges, release during posted hours. Philadelphia Code 9-605 does not follow you into Delco.
Upper Darby is the largest municipality in Delaware County at more than 85,000 people, and it runs right up against the Philadelphia line at 69th Street. The 69th Street Transportation Center, the busiest SEPTA hub outside Center City, sets the parking picture: commuter overflow, loading zones and the commercial blocks of Market Street and Baltimore Pike generate the bulk of the tow calls. The Blue Route, I-476, clips the western edge with its own interchange work. The important legal point for an Upper Darby driver is that this is a separate township with its own police and its own enforcement, not the City of Philadelphia and not the PPA, so the numbers and the process a Philadelphia neighbor quotes do not apply here. Private-property tows in Pennsylvania follow the state Towing and Towing Storage Facility Standards Act, which requires posted rates and release during posted hours.
Common Upper Darby questions
Is it legal to tow my car from a parking lot in Upper Darby?
Yes, when a licensed company does it with the property owner's authorization and follows 73 P.S. 1971 on posted fees, hours, itemized charges and release during posted hours. Inside Philadelphia, Code 9-605 also requires a city license and written permission from the property owner. This brand does not perform that tow.
Does a lot have to post a sign before towing in Upper Darby?
73 P.S. 1971 requires the storage facility to post fees and hours. General rules on lot-sign size, wording and placement in Philadelphia have not been confirmed, so this page does not invent them. Photograph whatever is posted, and photograph the absence of a posting if there is none.
How far can they take the car from Upper Darby?
Pennsylvania's 16-mile rule: a tower may not tow a vehicle more than 16 miles without owner or law-enforcement authorization. Ask the company for the storage address and check the distance.
Does Quick Tow Philadelphia do private-property tows in Upper Darby?
No. We hold no PUC Certificate of Public Convenience and no PennDOT towing registration, because we perform no towing. What we do is connect property managers with licensed operators who do that work, and help drivers work out what actually happened to their vehicle. Call (610) 557-1544.
Related help for Upper Darby
Private-property tows in the rest of the Delaware County area
Need your car towed once it's released in Upper Darby?
We can't waive the yard's fees. We can line up an operator the moment it clears.