Our published light-duty hookup starts at $95. That is the hookup, not a complete tow price. Distance, vehicle, equipment, and time of day can change the total. Call (504) 474-5530 with the pickup, destination, and year/model. The operator quotes the job before you agree. We do not own the trucks or set a locked total from this page.
What actually moves the price of a tow
Four things decide what a tow costs, and none of them is a mystery.
Distance is the biggest one. A tow from a Mid-City driveway to a shop two miles away costs less than a flatbed haul from Chalmette up to a dealership in Metairie, or a run north across the Causeway to Mandeville. Vehicle class matters too. A sedan is a faster, lighter job than a loaded pickup or a box truck, and heavier vehicles need bigger equipment and more time on scene.
The tow method changes the price as well. A wheel-lift truck can handle some rolling cars. Low-clearance or damaged cars often need a flatbed. For AWD and EVs, follow the owner’s manual. Tesla’s Model 3 manual recommends a flatbed and only allows a wheel-lift with dollies that keep all four wheels off the ground, under its published 35-mile and speed limits. That is Tesla’s Model 3 rule, not a rule for every EV. Time of day can change the quote. Ask the operator whether a night, weekend, or holiday charge applies. We do not publish a set add-on.
New Orleans adds its own wrinkles. French Quarter and CBD streets are narrow and one-way heavy, which slows a truck down before it ever reaches your car. Cruise terminals at Erato and Julia Street generate dead-battery and flat-tire calls after a car sits in heat. Those jobs still get quoted. There is no five-minute guaranteed tow.
The regulated rate Louisiana law actually sets
Louisiana doesn’t license tow companies the way some states license contractors, and there’s no single towing license number a homeowner could look up. Instead, state law hands one specific power to the Louisiana Public Service Commission, the LPSC: the authority to cap what a tow company can charge for a nonconsensual tow, meaning a car removed from private property without the owner’s consent, or a car removed at police direction. Louisiana is one of only a few states that regulates towing rates this way, statewide, through a single commission.
Under General Order 12-20-2024 (Docket R-35595), a private-property tow of a standard car (Light Duty, up to 10,000 lbs) is capped at a flat $152.50, or $186.00 if extra equipment or an extra operator is documented as required. Medium Duty caps at $335.00 flat, Heavy Duty at $430.50 flat. Storage runs $34.00 a day outside, $40.50 a day covered, $61.50 a day for oversize vehicles. A gate fee, if one applies, is capped at $64.50. These are the maximum a tow company may legally charge when someone else has your car removed, not a Quick Tow New Orleans price.
Nonconsensual tows billed by the hour follow a similar structure: Light Duty runs $152.50 an hour with a 1.5-hour minimum, Medium Duty $335.00 an hour with a 1-hour minimum, Heavy Duty $430.50 an hour with a 1-hour minimum. A tow company also has to accept a credit card under this schedule, and any card-processing fee it passes on has to be itemized separately from the towing charge, never folded into the total.
Here’s the part that matters most if this is why you searched for a price: those caps apply when someone else has your car towed, a landlord, an HOA, a property manager, or the police. They don’t apply to a private tow you call yourself. If you’re reading this because you need a truck to come get your car right now, the LPSC schedule is context, not your bill.
If the city already has your car
There’s a second, separate set of numbers if your car is already sitting at the City of New Orleans’ own pound on Claiborne Avenue, because of a parking ticket, an expired meter, a boot, or a parade-route sweep. The city raised those fees on July 27, 2026.
Effective July 27, 2026, Light Duty tow and impound is a $228.75 minimum for the first 90 minutes, then $76.25 per additional half hour. That is a City fee for a City tow. Confirm storage and boot with the Parking Division. We do not publish those two figures while City sources conflict.
City daily storage and boot amounts remain in a source conflict, so we do not state them here. Confirm those figures with the Parking Division before you pay. Vehicles impounded before July 27, 2026 may be billed under a prior schedule. Ask the City which table applies.
That’s a city fee for a city tow, not a Quick Tow New Orleans price either. If this is your situation, read how to find your towed car in New Orleans and get it back for the full walkthrough, including the Claiborne Avenue pound’s address and hours.
What actually decides your quote
When you call Quick Tow New Orleans for your own breakdown, accident, or lockout, the price comes down to the same four factors from the top of this article: how far the truck has to drive, what kind of vehicle you’re in, whether it needs a flatbed or a wheel-lift, and what time it is. A short local tow off an Uptown street costs less than a long run from Belle Chasse up to a shop near Kenner. A standard sedan costs less to move than a heavy-duty work truck.
The operator quotes the job on the phone. Ask where you are, what you are driving, and what the total covers, including any night or holiday charge. Ask for an itemized invoice. We do not own the trucks. Use the tow cost calculator to organize pickup, destination, and class before you call (504) 474-5530.
Why the operator quotes before the truck rolls
A price up front protects you. You hear the number before you commit, instead of bargaining on a street or in a garage at midnight. Call (504) 474-5530, tell us where you are and what you are driving, and the matched licensed operator quotes before the truck rolls.
Frequently asked questions
What does the LPSC actually cap?
The Louisiana Public Service Commission sets statewide maximum rates for nonconsensual towing, meaning a car removed from private property without the owner’s consent or at police direction. A standard car’s private-property tow is capped at $152.50 flat, with storage capped at $34.00 a day.
Does that cap apply to a tow I call myself?
No. The LPSC schedule regulates tows someone else orders, a landlord, an HOA, or the police. A private tow you call for a breakdown, lockout, or accident is priced by distance, vehicle type, and time, and the operator quotes that number before the truck rolls.
What if my car is already at the city pound on Claiborne Avenue?
That’s a separate City of New Orleans fee schedule, last raised on July 27, 2026. Confirm the current tow, boot, and storage figures with the Parking Division before you pay. See our guide to finding your towed car for the Claiborne lot address, hours, and process.
Can a tow company charge extra for a credit card?
A tow company operating under the LPSC schedule has to accept credit cards, and any processing fee it passes on has to be itemized separately from the tow charge, not folded into the total without explanation.
Why does a flatbed cost more than a wheel-lift tow?
A flatbed lifts all four wheels off the ground, which takes longer to load than a wheel-lift hookup. It is often the right call for low-clearance or damaged cars. For EVs and AWD, follow the owner’s manual rather than a universal rule. Tesla Model 3 has its own published limits. Ask the operator what method they will use and what it costs.
Will the price change during Mardi Gras or a cruise-ship day?
Demand goes up during parade season and around cruise sailings, which can affect how quickly a truck reaches you, but we still tell you the full number, including any time-of-day or demand factor, before the truck leaves.