Parking

Towing

Any vehicle parked contrary to City of Hamilton Parking By-Laws may be subject to ticket and tow removal.

You will be towed if:

A vehicle is found in non-compliance of a Parking By-law and Tow Warning Notification
A vehicle is parked within 45 cm from a residential approach and/or:
- A property owner or occupant is unable to leave property, as access/egress is blocked, preventing a owner/occupant from leaving safely, when required
- A property owner, manager, or occupant is unable to obtain a service that is required and;
- A property owner, manager, is unable to reasonably operate their business
A vehicle prevents road repair, construction and/or maintenance required by City or Contract workers deemed as emergency work or repair
A vehicle prevents delivery, or performance of a public or private utility company to deliver emergency services and conduct necessary work or repairs
Hamilton Police Service issues an order for an immediate tow.

Do you think your vehicle has been stolen? Contact Hamilton Police Services at 905-546-4925.

Do you wish to discuss your parking ticket? Contact Hamilton Municipal Parking Systems at 905-540-6000.

Towing Fees

The steps performed by City staff when a vehicle has been reported as parked illegally.

City staff contact Hamilton Police Services to determine if the vehicle has been reported as stolen.
If the vehicle has not been reported as stolen, Officers advise Hamilton Police Services that the City intends to tow the vehicle.
City Staff will then obtain vehicle registration information from the Ministry of Transportation.
In the event of an emergency (priority) tow, a reasonable effort is made to contact the registered owner by phone. If staff cannot contact the registered owner or the registered owner is unable to remove the vehicle within a reasonable amount of time, the City will proceed to tow and impound the vehicle.
A Notice of Tow is mailed to the vehicle owner.

Tows by Police Order

Vehicles may be towed by order of a Hamilton Police Constable where a statute other than a municipal by-law is being enforced. In these cases, the tow is performed under the authority of Hamilton Police Services and the vehicle may only be released by Hamilton Police Services.

As of May 1, 2022, the City of Hamilton will no longer provide vehicle releases directly to the public.

If your vehicle has been towed and you require a release, please contact:
Trotters Auto Complex
231 Gage Ave North,
Hamilton, ON
Call 905 312 1229

If you wish to recover your vehicle, you must:

Contact Trotters Auto Complex directly to obtain your vehicle
Provide a valid copy of the Vehicle Ownership and valid Government photo ID.

Be advised that Trotters Auto Complex will only release vehicles to the Registered Owner.

If you do not retrieve your vehicle within 60 days from the date it was towed, the vehicle becomes the property of the towing agency and the registered owner may be liable for towing and storage costs, as per the Repair and Storage Liens Act.

Towing fees can vary based on:

vehicle weight and condition
amount of time spent on the tow
length of time spent in storage

Parking Enforcement Tow Fees

Fees are non-negotiable and payment is required in full prior to release of vehicle.

Type	Light Vehicle	Heavy Vehicle
Per tow & 1st hour at the scene	$150	$300
Per each additional hour at the tow scene	$50	$100
Per first 2 hours of storage (to facilitate the prompt release of vehicle)	No charge	No charge
Per 24 hour period of vehicle storage (calculated once initial 2hr limit has past)	$50	$75

Motorcycles are considered light vehicles.

Date modified

August 15, 2023

Hamilton Search

Towing

Steps to Tow a Vehicle

Recover a Towed Vehicle

Towing Fees