Towed in Honolulu? What to Check First, and Who to Call

If your car vanished from a Honolulu street, the City and County says to call 911 to report it or get information about it. Police order those tows, and HPD's records hold the tow company's name. If it vanished from a private lot, go back and read the tow sign. Hawaii law makes that sign list the name, address and phone of the yard holding your car.

Street or parking lot: where was your car?

That one detail decides your first call. Honolulu tows fall into two main groups.

• A city street or highway: police order the tow. Start with HPD.
• A private lot: a store, condo, apartment or office lot. The property owner orders the tow under state law. Start with the sign.
• The H-1, H-2 or H-201 freeway: your car may have been moved by the state's Freeway Service Patrol. More on that below.

Before you call anyone, take a breath and look around. Was there a tow-away sign on the pole? Did you park in a stall marked for permits? Is your car just one row over? It happens more than people admit, especially in big lots like Ala Moana.

Why does Honolulu say to call 911 for a towed car?

It feels odd. But the city's Department of Transportation Services says it plainly. If your car is believed stolen, or it was towed from a City street, call 911 to report it or get information about it.

Here's why that works. On a street tow, the officer doesn't call a tow company directly. HPD's Communications Division calls the company that holds the city contract for that zone. When the tow is done, the officer reports back with your car's description, plate and the tow company's name. So HPD has a record of where your car went.

Have this ready when you call:

• Your license plate number
• The make, model and color of the car
• The exact spot where you parked, with the nearest cross street
• About when you last saw it

For other questions, HPD's main contact line is (808) 529-3111.

What gets a car towed from a Honolulu street?

A few reasons come up again and again in HPD's own policies.

• Parking in a tow zone. In some contract zones, HPD uses a "tag-and-go" policy. The officer writes the ticket and leaves. The tow company does the rest.
• Leaving it too long. Under city ordinance, a car left on the street for more than 24 hours counts as abandoned. HPD and the city's Motor Vehicle Control Branch can move it to storage.
• A car alarm that won't stop. Honolulu law lets police tow a car when its alarm has been going for at least 10 minutes and the owner can't be found. The owner pays for silencing it and for the tow.
• An arrest or a crash. If the driver is arrested, the officer first tries to help find someone to move the car. If it has to be towed, the storage lot goes in the police report.

What if HPD is holding my car as evidence?

Then it's not at a regular tow yard. HPD policy says an evidence car stays put until there's a court order, a prosecutor's memo or an OK from the investigator in charge. Ask for the report number and the investigator's name when you call.

My car was towed from a private lot. What does the sign have to say?

HPD's towing policy says private lot tows fall under state law, HRS 290-11. That law is strict about the sign. It must use reflective letters at least two inches high. It must say unauthorized cars will be towed and held at the owner's expense. And it must list the name, address and phone number of the place your car is held.

The sign must be easy to see as you pull into a stall. If the whole lot is restricted, a sign at each entrance is enough. So walk back to every entrance before you decide there was no sign.

Take a photo of the sign, your empty stall and any parking receipt on your dash. The law says a car isn't parked without permission if a prepaid receipt or permit was showing from outside. That photo can matter later.

Can I stop a tow if I catch it happening?

Often, yes. Under HRS 290-11, if you show up while your car is being hooked up, and the truck hasn't driven away yet, the tow company has to release it. No fee. "On the scene" counts anywhere within 50 feet of your car. The law also counts a renter, or anyone holding the key, as an owner here. HPD's policy gives an example: the car is hooked up and the truck is waiting to pull into traffic. You still count as on the scene.

Stay calm and stay out of the truck's path. Tell the driver you're the owner and show your key.

What should happen at the tow yard?

Hawaii's law gives you a few protections when you go to get your car.

• Open around the clock. In a county this size, tow companies must offer service 24 hours a day, every day. That includes releasing stored cars. City contract companies must be available around the clock too.
• Card or cash. They must take cash, credit and debit. A yard can't send you to an ATM on site instead of taking your card.
• A real receipt. For a private lot tow, your receipt must show the most the law allows them to charge. It must also list the state consumer information phone number.
• Storage adds up daily. Storage is charged by the day, and part of a day counts. Go as soon as you can.

If the car was towed while you weren't there, the officer fills out an inventory form called HPD-48. It lists the car's condition and what was inside. The tow driver gets two copies, and one goes to the storage yard. Ask to see it if something is missing or damaged.

Got a problem with a city contract tow, like a card that wasn't accepted? HPD says you can call the city's Department of Customer Services to file a complaint. Refusing to pay is a civil matter between you and the tow company, not a police matter.

How long before a towed car is sold?

For a private lot tow, the clock matters. The tow company must mail a letter to the owner on record. It goes by registered or certified mail within 15 days of the tow. If you don't recover the car within 30 days after that letter is mailed, the car can be sold or junked.

There's a flip side. If the tow company never sent that letter, the law says you can get your car back without paying tow or storage fees. Keep your mail, and keep your address current with the city.

What if my car broke down on the freeway and disappeared?

The state's Freeway Service Patrol works H-1 from Makakilo Drive to Ainakoa Avenue. It also covers H-201 and a short stretch of H-2 up to Ka Uka Boulevard. If it can't fix a stalled car fast, it may tow it, free, to an authorized drop area off the freeway.

That's a safer spot, not the end of the trip. The patrol isn't allowed to take your car home or to a repair shop. It also can't recommend a tow company. HPD may help you reach the zone tow company, too. But if a crash or breakdown left your car disabled, HPD's policy says you can ask for the towing service of your choice.

Does Sentinel handle impounds or private lot tows in Honolulu?

No. Sentinel doesn't do impounds or private property tows, and we can't release your car. Only the tow yard can, along with HPD for a police tow. Our part starts once your car is free.

Maybe the battery died after days in the sun at the yard. A jump start may get it going. Maybe the car can't be driven, or the patrol left it at a drop area. A car tow can take it to your home or a shop anywhere on Oahu. Tows stay on the island, so we can't move a car to Maui or Kauai.

Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. We text you a locked price before anyone is sent. Then we check on you by text until your driver arrives. That's the Stay-With-You Promise. For island roads and tricky spots, see our Honolulu towing page.

If anyone is hurt, or you're stuck in a live lane, call 911 first.

Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.

Honolulu Towed Car Questions

Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: Honolulu DTS: FAQs, HPD: Towing Procedures, HPD: Abandoned Vehicles, HPD: Vehicles in Police Custody, HRS 290-11, HDOT: Freeway Service Patrol towing, HDOT: Freeway Service Patrol area.