Arlington weighs raising its private-property towing fee to the $210 state maximum

By Staff Reporter

ARLINGTON, Va. — Getting towed from a private lot in Arlington could soon cost $210 before any after-hours surcharge, after the County Board set up a November public hearing on raising the county’s trespass towing fee to the maximum Virginia law allows.

Board members voted Oct. 17, without comment, to advertise the hearing, ARLnow reported. The current base rate for vehicles under 7,500 pounds is $160, in place since December 2025, when the board raised it from $135, according to ARLnow. Operators can add up to $60 for tows on evenings, weekends and holidays.

The advertising vote sets only a ceiling. Board members could keep the fee at $160 or choose a figure in between, and public comment will be taken just before the November vote, ARLnow reported.

What staff and the advisory board want

According to the county staff report, the Trespass Towing Advisory Board, which met Aug. 27, recommends raising the initial hookup and towing fee to $210, the maximum allowed under Virginia Code § 46.2-1233.1. The report describes that change as an increase “from $135 to $210,” a figure that does not reflect the $160 rate ARLnow says has applied since December 2025. The Washington Inquisitor has asked the county to clarify.

The County Manager recommends writing the fee into the code as “the maximum authorized by the Code of Virginia” rather than as a dollar amount, and requiring the county to review its maximum fees every two years or within 120 days of any change in state law. Other proposed amendments would clarify county staff duties for towing permits and update the advisory board’s role. The staff contact listed on the report is Deputy County Manager Aaron Miller.

Staff have hired an outside firm to analyze the fair market value of towing, and the advisory board is expected to offer more recommendations after its next meeting, on Nov. 5, the report says. It lists no fiscal impact to the county.

How the cap got to $210

A 2024 state law directed the State Corporation Commission to study private-property towing fees. On Nov. 30, 2024, the commission recommended raising the state maximum hookup and initial towing fee to between $200 and $210 based on statewide cost estimates. SB 1332, effective July 1, 2025, raised the state cap from $150 to $210, according to the staff report.

The 2026 General Assembly went further. SB 455, effective July 1, 2026, bars towing companies from employing drivers who are not registered with the Department of Criminal Justice Services, requires operators to make change of up to $100 for cash payments, prohibits denying owners access to belongings in a towed car or charging to retrieve them, and sets criminal penalties for drivers who overcharge or solicit business at tow scenes. HB 908 requires local towing advisory boards to have equal numbers of police, towing operators and members of the public, the report says.

A fight over the last increase

Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties each adopted the $210 maximum after the 2025 change, but Arlington did not, ARLnow reported. The December 2025 increase to $160 was below what county staff and the advisory board recommended and led to a lawsuit by one of the county’s largest towing operators, according to ARLnow, which did not name the company.

At the time, Board member Takis Karantonis, then the chair, said Arlington operators could make do with less because they travel shorter distances than towers in larger outlying counties, ARLnow reported. Gary Kauffman of Henry’s Wrecker Service told the board at that December meeting: “When fees are unrealistically low, owners are pressured to cut corners, delay releases and seek revenue through questionable practices.”

Companies authorized to tow in Arlington include Henry’s Wrecker, A-1 Towing, Advanced Towing, Al’s Towing, Metro Motors, Pete’s Towing & Storage and All Out Fleet Service, according to ARLnow.

The Washington Inquisitor asked the Arlington County Board office, the county’s Office of Communications and Public Engagement, the Arlington County Police Department, the State Corporation Commission and Fairfax County’s consumer affairs office, which handles towing complaints there, for comment.

Photo: The Ellen M. Bozman Government Center in Arlington. Wikipedian1234 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0.