Car towed — Mairie · France

Direct answer

A towed car is at the municipal pound: call Mairie — police municipale / services techniques (service-public.fr) with your plate to confirm and to hear the fee and the opening hours; bring ID, the registration document and a means of payment, and expect a daily storage charge, so go today. If nobody knows where the car is, it may have been stolen — Police / gendarmerie — plainte en ligne THESEE (service-public.fr). If you think the towing was unjustified (no sign, sign obscured, works started after you parked), pay under protest, photograph the spot, and object; Défenseur des droits (3928) handles complaints about the municipality when the objection is ignored.

Call firstMairie — police municipale / services techniques

Report toPolice / gendarmerie — plainte en ligne THESEE

If that failsDéfenseur des droits

🗣️ What to say

"My car, plate [number], was parked at [place] and is gone since [time]. Was it towed, where is it, what does it cost to collect, and what are the opening hours? I would also like to know the reason and whether a fine was issued."

🪜 Step by step

Confirm: Mairie — police municipale / services techniquesPlate, place, time. Many cities show towed cars online.
Not towed: Police / gendarmerie — plainte en ligne THESEEReport the theft immediately; the plate goes into the search system.
Collect todayStorage fees run daily. ID, registration, payment; a friend can collect with a written authorisation.
Photograph the spotSigns, distance from the corner, any works or temporary signs — before they change.
ObjectTo the towing decision and the fine, in writing, within the deadline; escalate to Défenseur des droits if the answer is a form letter.

📇 All contacts

Mairie — police municipale / services techniquesNuisances, roads, cleanliness, civil registry, lost propertyFor anything the municipality handles🔗 www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/N31

Police / gendarmerie — plainte en ligne THESEEOnline complaint for internet fraud, immediate receiptAlways — the basis for bank, insurer and platform🔗 www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/R46526

Défenseur des droitsComplaints about public services, discrimination, children's rightsWhen the administration does not answer or acts unfairly📞 3928 🔗 www.defenseurdesdroits.fr

Tribunal administratifAppeals against administrative decisionsWithin 2 months of the decision🔗 www.telerecours.fr

❓ Frequently asked

Can they tow for an ordinary parking offence?

Rules vary: some cities tow only when the car obstructs; others tow for any offence in certain zones. The sign at the spot is decisive.

They damaged the car while towing

Note it before you leave the pound, photograph, and claim from the municipality or the towing company in writing.

Temporary no-parking signs appeared after I parked

Most countries require signs to be up for a minimum period (often 24–72 hours) before towing. Ask the municipality for the date the sign was placed.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

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🚛 My car has been towed — where is it, and how do I get it back?