Towing Release

A towing release is the process of recovering a vehicle that has been towed by an NYC marshal, sheriff, or NYPD back to the owner. Because towing in NYC is almost always connected to either unpaid violations (marshal tows) or safety concerns (NYPD tows), release requires settling the underlying debt or clearing the hold that triggered the tow in the first place.

For marshal tows, release requires the owner to pay the full unpaid violation balance (or enter a payment plan), plus a tow fee (typically $185 for passenger vehicles, more for trucks), a storage fee (often $20 per day starting immediately), and a release fee. The vehicle must be released in person at the marshal's pound with proof of ownership and insurance. If the tow was by NYPD, the vehicle is typically held at an NYPD tow pound and release requires clearing the summons that triggered the tow.

For fleets, a towed vehicle is an operational crisis — every day a delivery van sits in the pound is a day of lost revenue. Clear Plates flags vehicles approaching boot and tow thresholds before marshals arrive, giving fleet managers time to pay down balances and avoid tow release costs entirely.