Authority on file
Who authorized the tow, under what authority, and the police department and case number when an agency is involved. Recorded on the vehicle, not in someone’s phone.
Private property & patrol towing · Updated October 2026
Private property towing software for tows that start with an authorization, not a phone call at the roadside.
Record who authorized the tow, dispatch the driver, document the vehicle with photos and a VIN scan, accrue storage fees on the lot record, and release it with a PDF invoice — for a flat $149 a month.
Impound billing included No app for drivers No credit card
The short version
Private property tows are documentation jobs
A private property tow is not the same job as a roadside call. Nobody is standing next to the vehicle waiting. The authority comes from a property owner or manager, the vehicle is usually gone before the owner knows it moved, and the questions that follow are about documentation: who authorized it, what condition was it in, what was inside it, and what is owed to get it back.
TowLab treats those tows as the regular work, not an exception. The property and the person who authorized the tow are on the record, the job lands on the same dispatch board as every other call, the driver opens a link on their phone to photograph and document the vehicle, and if it goes to the lot the storage clock starts on its own.
That means the release conversation is short. The storage days are calculated, the fees are itemized, the intake photos and inventory are attached, and the release invoice is a PDF you can hand over or email.
The workflow
How a private property tow moves through TowLab
Five steps, the same board and the same records as every other job your company runs.
01
Log the tow with its authorization
Record the property, the person who authorized the tow, and the reason — no permit, expired tag, abandoned, accident. When an agency is involved, the police department and case number go on the record too.
02
Dispatch the driver
Assign the nearest available truck. The job lands on the dispatch board with priority and status, and the driver gets it on a phone link with pickup, vehicle, and destination.
03
Document the vehicle on scene
The driver photographs the vehicle, records condition and damage notes, scans the VIN barcode, and lists personal property found inside before the truck moves.
04
Store it or deliver it
If the vehicle goes to the lot, it becomes an impound record: daily storage starts accruing along with the tow and admin fees, and the vehicle sits with a status you control.
05
Release and invoice
Required documents are checked, the hold is cleared, the release signature and notes are captured, and a PDF release invoice is produced with the balance itemized.
Documentation
What has to be on the record
These are the four things that decide whether a private property tow is easy to defend or expensive to argue about. TowLab keeps all four attached to the job and the vehicle.
Condition evidence
Intake photos plus written damage documentation attached to the vehicle record, so a claim about damage that existed before the hook has an answer.
Personal property inventory
What was inside the vehicle when it was towed, listed at intake. It is the item that turns a disputed missing-property conversation into a short one.
Owner, lienholder, and required documents
Registered owner and lienholder contact details, the documents the vehicle needs before release, and the hold reason if it is not ready to leave.
Practical note: signage, permits, and local tow-away rules are set by your jurisdiction and by your agreements with each property — not by software. What TowLab does is make sure the authorization, the evidence, and the fee calculation are on the record the moment the tow happens, so you can produce them later without digging through texts and photos.
What you get for $149
Everything private property work needs, nothing quoted separately
The impound lot, storage billing, and commission reporting that other platforms sell as add-ons are part of the base price.
One board for every tow
Private property, patrol, police rotation, and motorist calls all sit on the same live dispatch board — pending, dispatched, en route, on scene, completed, or delivered to the lot.
Fleet & truck management
Trucks, plates, VINs, status, and which driver is behind the wheel, so you know what is available before you commit to the next property call.
Drivers & pay rates
Driver profiles carry contact details, license information, assigned truck, availability, and a pay model — hourly, commission, or per-tow — so patrol pay is calculated from the work.
Driver job link — no app
Drivers open a per-job link on any phone: pickup and destination, VIN barcode scanning, scene photos, personal property notes, status updates, and one-tap calling.
Live truck locations
Drivers share location from the job link and the truck appears on the dispatch map, so you can see who is closest when a property manager calls.
Impound lot & storage billing
Intake photos and damage notes, daily storage accrual, tow and admin fees, holds, required documents, and a PDF release invoice — included in the price.
Release invoicing & payments
Record cash, card, check, insurance, or account payments and email the owner a pay-by-link. TowLab captures the payment details and sends them to you to run through your own POS.
Sales summary & commissions
Gross sales minus driver commissions, fuel, and other costs equals net revenue, with per-driver commission reports and a breakdown by service type.
OnyxBot AI website agent
An AI agent you embed on your website with one line of code. Property managers and motorists can ask about a tow or a release at any hour, and the request lands in your inbox.
One flat price. Every feature.
No per-user fees, no per-truck tiers, no add-on quote for the impound lot or storage billing. Patrol tows cost you the same as any other job.
TowLab Pro
$149/month
First 30 days completely free
Live dispatch board
Unlimited jobs & drivers
Driver management & pay rates
Driver mobile job page
Customer tracking links
Invoicing & payment capture
Driver commission reports
Sales summary with net revenue
Impound lot & storage billing
Fleet & truck management
Fuel expense tracking
OnyxBot AI chat agent
Private property towing questions
What towing companies ask about authorization records, vehicle documentation, storage, and releases.
What is private property towing software?+
Private property towing software is dispatch and management software built for tows that come from a property owner, manager, or patrol rather than a motorist on the roadside. It keeps the authorization on record, dispatches the tow, documents the vehicle with photos and a VIN scan, tracks storage fees if the vehicle is held, and produces the release paperwork.
How does TowLab record who authorized a private property tow?+
The property and the person who authorized the tow are recorded on the job, along with the reason for the tow — no permit, expired tag, abandoned, or accident. When a police department or other agency is involved, the department and case number are recorded on the vehicle record as well.
How is a vehicle documented before it is towed from private property?+
The driver opens the job link on their phone and photographs the vehicle, records condition and damage notes, scans the VIN barcode, and lists personal property found inside before the truck moves. All of it attaches to the vehicle record, so the intake condition is documented at the scene rather than reconstructed later.
How does storage billing work for a vehicle held after a private property tow?+
A vehicle delivered to the lot becomes an impound record. You set the daily storage rate plus tow, admin, and any handling fees, and the storage days accrue on the record so the balance owed is calculated rather than estimated. Holds, lienholder details, and required documents are tracked on the same record.
Do drivers need an app for patrol or private property tows?+
No. Each assigned job has a link the driver opens in any phone browser to see the pickup and destination, scan the VIN, upload photos, update status, and call the property contact or owner. Nothing to install and no device management, so a new patrol driver is working the same day.
Can a property manager see where the tow stands?+
Yes. Every job generates a tracking link you can text or email to the property manager or the vehicle owner, showing the current status of the tow. That keeps the office off the phone when a manager wants to know whether the vehicle has been picked up yet.
What paperwork is needed before a vehicle is released?+
The release workflow checks the documents you require, clears the hold, captures a release signature and notes, and generates a PDF release invoice with the itemized balance. Required documents and hold reasons live on the vehicle record, so staff releasing the vehicle know what is still outstanding.
Can TowLab handle police rotation and motorist calls alongside private property tows?+
Yes. Police rotation, private property, patrol, and regular motorist calls all run on the same dispatch board, the same drivers, and the same invoicing and reporting. Service types include local tow, long distance, roadside, jump start, tire change, lockout, fuel delivery, accident, impound, and winch out.
Keep reading
Impound management software
Intake to release, storage fees, holds, and PDF invoices.
Towing dispatch software guide
What dispatch software does and how a tow moves from call to completion.
Towing software in Virginia
Built in Northern Virginia — rotation tows, private property work, and locality rate schedules.
Towing software pricing
Per-truck, per-user, and flat pricing compared, plus what usually costs extra.
Driver commission software
Hourly, commission, and per-tow pay with automatic deduction.
Run your next patrol tow in TowLab
30 days free, no credit card. Add your drivers, enter your storage rate, and log a private property tow today.