How to get your car out of impound in Darby
If your car got towed in Darby, here is how to find it and get it back today.
What Pennsylvania law says
Philadelphia is unusual in one important way: the Parking Authority, not the police, runs most city tows in Center City, University City and commercial corridors. A car that is gone has not necessarily been stolen, and it has not necessarily been impounded. The city also does courtesy and relocation tows when a space becomes a temporary no-parking zone for events, utility work, construction or snow, and the car may only have been moved. Check findmytowedcar.org or call 888-591-3636 before you report it stolen. Snow-emergency tows go through (215) 686-SNOW. If the Philadelphia Parking Authority towed it, published lots with phones include Lot 1 at 2501 Weccacoe Ave, (215) 683-9550; Lot 6 at 4701 Bath St, (215) 683-9510; and Lot 10 at 6 E Oregon Ave, (215) 683-9601. Confirm the lot on the lookup, because PPA uses more than these three. If a suburb towed it, none of that applies: Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks and Chester counties each run municipal impounds under Pennsylvania law, not the PPA schedule. Work out which of the three situations you are in first, because they have almost nothing in common.
How it works in Darby
- 1 Look the car up before you drive anywhere
Inside Philadelphia, use findmytowedcar.org or call 888-591-3636. That tells you which PPA lot has it, or whether it was relocated rather than impounded. Snow-emergency tows: (215) 686-SNOW. A suburb is a different call, to the department that ordered the tow.
- 2 Ask whether it was a parking tow, a police tow or a relocation
A PPA parking tow goes to a PPA lot. An accident or arrest tow in the city may run through the AutoReturn/Autura rotational program. A courtesy relocation may have moved a legally parked car a few blocks. Those three are not the same desk and not the same bill.
- 3 Bring photo ID and proof of ownership
Title or current registration, and identification for everyone claiming the vehicle. Call the lot and ask what else they require before you drive over. A PPA lot and a suburban municipal lot are not the same list.
- 4 If it was booted, know the 72-hour clock
PPA boots a vehicle with 3 or more unpaid parking, red-light or speed-camera tickets, or a balance of $300 or more. Boot removal is $150. After the boot is on, you have 72 hours to pay before it is towed; the $175 tow fee applies only once that 72 hours has run.
- 5 Know the published PPA numbers
For a vehicle under 11,000 pounds: $175 to tow, or $225 on a live stop, and $25 storage per 24 hours plus 22.5 percent tax. Heavier bands cost more. Those are PPA's published figures, not a private company's quote and not a suburban rate. Confirm accepted payment with the lot before you go.
- 6 Watch the reclaim clock
Under Title 75 sections 7301 to 7308, once notice is mailed the owner has 30 days to reclaim an abandoned or unclaimed vehicle. That is a reclaim window, not a reason to wait. Storage accrues daily. A PPA parking tow should come out as soon as you can pay.
What this looks like around Darby
Upper Darby, Chester, Radnor, Media and the rest of Delco are not PPA. A municipal tow goes to that township or borough's own lot under Pennsylvania law. Title 75 section 3352 lets police remove a vehicle and claim a lien for reasonable removal and storage; if the municipality has not set a rate, storage is capped at $25 a day. Call the department that ordered the tow and ask for the fee, the daily rate and the lot address before you drive over.
Common Darby questions
How do I find out where my car was towed in Darby?
Inside Philadelphia, check findmytowedcar.org or call 888-591-3636. That tells you which PPA lot has it, or whether it was relocated rather than impounded. Snow-emergency tows: (215) 686-SNOW. If a suburb towed it, call that township or borough police department directly. findmytowedcar.org does not cover Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks or Chester County lots.
What will I owe to get my car out of impound in Darby?
If PPA towed a vehicle under 11,000 pounds, the published fees are $175 to tow, or $225 on a live stop, and $25 storage per 24 hours plus 22.5 percent tax, with boot removal at $150. If a suburb towed it, that municipality sets its own fee. Title 75 section 3352 caps storage at $25 a day only if the municipality has not set a rate. Ask before you drive over.
Can I pay with a check in Darby?
Ask the lot before you go. We do not publish a PPA payment-method list we have not confirmed. A suburban impound sets its own payment rules. Bring photo ID and proof of ownership either way.
Can Quick Tow Philadelphia release my car from impound in Darby?
No, and we will not pretend otherwise. We connect drivers with private tow and roadside operators. We are not the PPA, the township or the police department holding your car, so we cannot waive fees or speed up a release. What we can do is help you work out who has it and line up an operator once it is released. Call (610) 557-1544.
Related help for Darby
Impound release process in the rest of the Delaware County area
Need your car towed once it's released in Darby?
We can't waive the yard's fees. We can line up an operator the moment it clears.