HB 7162, Public Act 25-55, substantially revises Connecticut’s motor vehicle towing laws, with a focus on nonconsensual towing from private property and police-ordered towing. The bill replaces and reorganizes multiple statutes governing when a vehicle may be towed, what notice is required, what records and photographs must be kept, how quickly police must be notified, and when owners must be allowed to retrieve vehicles and personal property. It also creates new definitions for terms such as “wrecker service,” “private-property trespass towing,” “police-ordered towing,” and different vehicle weight classes, and it repeals section 14-145b entirely.
A major feature of the bill is rate regulation. It directs the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to establish published schedules of rates and charges for private-property trespass towing and for police-ordered towing, including flat rates, mileage, labor, storage, drop fees, after-hours redemption fees, and specialized equipment charges. The bill also creates a Police-Ordered Towing Council to advise the commissioner and propose rates, and it requires a consumer bill of rights on towing to be published by DMV and the Attorney General and posted by wrecker services. The bill further expands complaint-handling authority at DMV, increases civil penalties for violations, and updates licensing, recordkeeping, and storage requirements for wrecker services and related businesses.
The bill’s impact on state law is broad. It amends or rewrites sections 14-1, 14-63, 14-64, 14-66, 14-66a, 14-66b, 14-66c, 14-145, 14-145a, 14-145c, 14-145d, 14-150, and 29-23a, while adding several new sections that govern signage, notice, towing rates, municipal authority, and post-tow procedures. It also changes how abandoned vehicles may be sold or disposed of, establishes lien and escrow procedures for proceeds, and requires new regulations on title transfer and disposal of abandoned vehicles, including campground motor homes and recreational vehicles. Municipalities are expressly authorized to regulate towing and storage by ordinance, so long as the rules are consistent with state law.
Overall sentiment appears strongly supportive in the legislature, as reflected by the bill’s passage in both chambers with substantial margins, though not unanimously. The vote history shows broad bipartisan approval in the House and Senate, suggesting general agreement that towing practices needed clearer rules, more consumer protections, and more standardized pricing. The absence of committee transcript material limits insight into detailed debate, but the structure of the bill indicates a policy compromise between consumer advocates, towing operators, police, and insurers.
The main points of contention likely center on cost, operational flexibility, and enforcement. Towing companies may object to rate caps, limits on charges, new documentation requirements, and restrictions on when vehicles may be towed or when storage fees may be charged. Property owners and managers may be concerned about the added signage and notice requirements, while consumer advocates likely support the stronger notice, redemption, and complaint provisions. Another likely issue is the bill’s split treatment of private-property towing versus police-ordered towing, including the new council process for setting rates and the bill’s expanded municipal authority to regulate towing locally.
The bill substantially rewrites Connecticut’s towing and vehicle-storage framework by amending multiple sections of Title 14 and repealing section 14-145b. It imposes new notice, signage, documentation, police-notification, storage, redemption, and sale requirements on wrecker services, private-property owners, and garages, while also authorizing DMV to set and periodically revise towing-rate schedules and to adopt implementing regulations. It expands DMV complaint authority, increases civil penalties, and creates new state and municipal oversight mechanisms affecting towing operators, property owners, and vehicle owners.