Q: If your being pulled over and you pull onto private property can the police still tow your car?
A:
When you're pulled over by law enforcement, pulling onto private property doesn't prevent them from having legal authority to tow your vehicle. The police maintain jurisdiction to enforce traffic laws and vehicle codes regardless of whether you're on public or private property.
If the police have a valid reason to tow your car - such as expired registration, lack of insurance, or as part of an arrest - they can still do so from private property. This includes situations where you might pull into a friend's driveway or a business parking lot during a traffic stop.
However, the property owner may have rights regarding how and when the tow truck accesses their property. In some cases, the police might need to coordinate with the property owner or obtain additional authorization, but this typically won't prevent them from legally towing your vehicle if they have proper cause to do so.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.