Booting and towing

Your vehicle can be booted if you owe the City of New York $350 or more in parking or camera violation tickets that are in judgment. Your vehicle may be towed if you do not pay the parking, speed zone, red light camera, or bus lane violation judgment debt and related fees within 48 hours of booting.  

Your vehicle may be towed immediately if you owe $2,500 or more, the vehicle registration is not valid, or your vehicle is causing a public safety issue. 

The boots used by the Sheriff’s Office and city marshals are painted green to make them visible. You will also see a notice on the driver's side window and under the windshield wiper that tells you your vehicle has been booted.  

The New York Police Department boots may be yellow or blue and do not have a keypad. All vehicles booted by the NYPD are subject to immediate tow. 

Visit www.nycbootpay.com to make an online payment of all outstanding judgment debt, plus additional fees, using a debit or credit card. You will receive a code to release the boot. 

If you cannot pay online, call the phone number on the boot notice (646-517-1000) to make your payment and receive the release code. 

Unlock the boot by entering the release code into the keypad on the boot and return the boot as directed within 24 hours, or you will have to pay a $25 daily late fee, up to a $500 maximum. If you are unable to return the boot on time, please contact customer service at the phone number on the boot notice as soon as possible. 

To pay in person with cash, a money order, or a cashier’s check, visit a Department of Finance business center. 

If the vehicle was booted by the NYPD, follow the instructions on the notice of violation placed on your vehicle’s windshield. 

You can request a property release for personal property, like luggage or a baby car seat. However, tires, radios, batteries, and other parts of the vehicle may not be removed. Non-owners must bring a notarized letter signed by the vehicle owner allowing them to remove personal property. If a vehicle belongs to a firm or business, proof of employment must also be presented. 

Tow refunds are not sent automatically. You must request a tow refund by completing a Parking/Camera Violations Refund Form. If you have proof that your vehicle should not have been towed, such as a copy of the not-guilty decision, please submit your request form along with copies of your proof by mail. Do not submit originals.  

Please note that if your vehicle was towed due to unpaid judgment debt, all of your judgment summonses must be dismissed in order for you to receive a refund. If your vehicle was towed due to a violation, such as parking in a no-parking zone or blocking a fire hydrant, you can receive a refund if the violation is dismissed. 

You must pay all judgment violations and fees, including penalties and interest, to retrieve a towed vehicle. Towed vehicles are scheduled for sale at auction if they are not retrieved within 10 business days from the towing date. Owners may either pay or dispute the violation through the Department of Finance if they believe the towing was not warranted.

If your vehicle is towed by the NYPD, you must pay the related towing fees to retrieve your vehicle. You can retrieve the vehicle without paying the parking or camera violation, unless you owe judgment debt of $101 or more, in which case the judgment debt must be satisfied before you can retrieve the vehicle.

If the vehicle is not retrieved on the same day that it was towed by the NYPD, an additional overnight storage charge of $20 will be assessed each night the vehicle is held. If there is an outstanding judgment amount of $101 or more on a vehicle towed by the NYPD, the vehicle will not be released until the judgment debt is resolved by either dismissal at a hearing or full payment of the judgment. Once the judgment debt has been satisfied, the owner is given a clearance notice for the NYPD to release the vehicle. The tow fee still applies. 

You can request to stop a tow in progress if the vehicle is being towed for unpaid violations and you are the owner of the vehicle or a person entitled to possess it. You will need to sign a binding agreement to pay the penalty and any associated fees.

You will need to have your driver’s license and the vehicle’s registration, title, insurance identification, and keys. If the vehicle is a rental, you must produce a rental agreement and car keys. If it is a company car, you must present your company identification.