Car towed — Ayuntamiento · Spain

Direct answer

A towed car is at the municipal pound: call Ayuntamiento — Policía local / atención ciudadana (010) 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 — Policía Nacional — denuncia (091). If you think the towing was unjustified (no sign, sign obscured, works started after you parked), pay under protest, photograph the spot, and object; Defensor del Pueblo (900 101 025) handles complaints about the municipality when the objection is ignored.

Call firstAyuntamiento — Policía local / atención ciudadana

Report toPolicía Nacional — denuncia

If that failsDefensor del Pueblo

🗣️ 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: Ayuntamiento — Policía local / atención ciudadanaPlate, place, time. Many cities show towed cars online.
Not towed: Policía Nacional — denunciaReport 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 Defensor del Pueblo if the answer is a form letter.

📇 All contacts

Ayuntamiento — Policía local / atención ciudadanaNuisances, roads, waste, registry, lost propertyFor anything the municipality handles📞 010 🔗 www.femp.es

Policía Nacional — denunciaReport at a station or start online; Guardia Civil cyber unitAlways — the basis for bank, insurer and platform📞 091 🔗 www.policia.es/_es/denuncias.php

Defensor del PuebloComplaints about administrations, freeWhen the administration does not answer or acts unfairly📞 900 101 025 🔗 www.defensordelpueblo.es

Juzgado de lo Contencioso-AdministrativoAppeals against administrative actsWithin 2 months of the decision🔗 www.poderjudicial.es

❓ 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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🧭 Is this still correct?

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