When Your Vehicle Is Towed in New Zealand​

If your vehicle is towed in New Zealand, you have clear legal rights and responsibilities under consumer protection laws, transport regulations, and local council bylaws. Understanding these helps you avoid disputes, unexpected costs, and ensures your vehicle is handled fairly and lawfully.

This guide explains what you are entitled to, what towing companies must do, and what responsibilities vehicle owners have.

Your Consumer Rights When Your Vehicle Is Towed

In most towing situations (excluding some police-ordered tows), consumers are protected by the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 (CGA) and Fair Trading Act 1986.

Right to Reasonable Care and Skill

Towing operators must:

  • Use appropriate towing equipment
  • Secure your vehicle correctly
  • Avoid unnecessary damage during loading, transport, or storage

If your vehicle is damaged due to negligence or improper towing, you may be entitled to compensation or repairs.

Right to Clear and Honest Pricing

You have the right to:

  • Be informed of towing fees where practical
  • Receive transparent pricing (including storage or after-hours fees)
  • Not be charged misleading or excessive costs

Towing companies must not misrepresent prices or add undisclosed charges.

Right to Information About Where Your Vehicle Is Taken

If your vehicle is towed, you are entitled to know:

  • Where the vehicle has been taken
  • How to recover it
  • Who authorised the tow (private, council, or police)

This information should be provided promptly when requested.

Right to Access Your Vehicle and Personal Belongings

In most cases, you have the right to:

  • Retrieve personal belongings from your vehicle
  • Inspect the vehicle before release

Reasonable conditions may apply for safety or security, but access cannot be unreasonably denied.

Instances where access or retrieval may be denied include:

  • When the vehicle is under a police hold
  • If you are not the registered owner or do not hold authority to access
  • The vehicle is uninsured and there is a dispute about cost settlement

Right to Complain or Dispute a Tow

If you believe your vehicle was:

  • Unlawfully towed
  • Incorrectly authorised
  • Overcharged
  • Damaged

You can raise a complaint with:

  • The towing company
  • The authorising party (property owner, council, or police)
  • The Disputes Tribunal for unresolved issues

Your Responsibilities as a Vehicle Owner

While consumers have strong rights, vehicle owners also have important responsibilities.

Responsibility to Pay Legitimate Towing Costs

If the tow was lawful and correctly authorised, you are responsible for:

  • Towing fees
  • Storage fees
  • Recovery or after-hours charges

Failure to pay may delay vehicle release or result in additional costs. In general, in New Zealand, whenever your vehicle is towed you are responsible for the costs involved. Having comprehensive motor vehicle insurance in place usually covers these costs for you, otherwise they are required to be paid for out of pocket.

Responsibility to Comply With Parking and Road Rules

Many tows occur due to:

  • Illegal parking
  • Blocking access or traffic
  • Parking on private property without permission

Vehicle owners are responsible for understanding and complying with road rules and signage.

Responsibility to Collect Your Vehicle Promptly

Once your vehicle has been towed, you should:

  • Contact your insurance company to file the claim & inform the towing company
  • Contact the towing company to ask process, availability for release & daily costs
  • Arrange payment and collection as soon as possible

Your vehicle is your responsibility, and to avoid unnecessary costs its important to follow up as soon as possible. Uncollected vehicles incur daily storage fees, referral to debt collection and in some cases, further legal action.

Responsibility to Provide Proof of Ownership

To collect your vehicle, you are required to provide:

  • Photo ID
  • Proof of vehicle ownership or authority

This protects vehicle owners and prevents unauthorised release.

Police and Council Towing: What’s Different?

When police or councils authorise a tow:

  • The tow is mandatory for safety or enforcement reasons
  • You cannot refuse the tow
  • Costs are usually still payable by the vehicle owner

These tows fall under transport and enforcement laws rather than standard consumer agreements.

What to Do If You Believe Your Rights Were Breached

If you believe a towing company has acted unfairly:

  1. Request a detailed invoice and explanation
  2. Document damage or issues with photos
  3. Raise the issue directly with the towing provider
  4. Once the towing provider has completed their complaints process, if you are still unhappy, you can raise the complaint with NZT&T (for NZT&T members only).
  5. Escalate to the Disputes Tribunal if unresolved

A reputable towing company aims to resolve concerns quickly and professionally.