--- title: "Colorado: Can an apartment complex tow my trailer colorado" canonical: https://towingdad.shop/questions/private-property-tows/can-an-apartment-complex-tow-my-trailer-colorado/ lang: en --- # Can an apartment complex tow my trailer colorado? By [Nora Whitfield, J.D.](/authors/nora-whitfield/) — Consumer law attorney Last reviewed: 2026-08-17 R3 A property owner can generally have a trespassing vehicle removed, but almost every state conditions it: conspicuous signage meeting statutory wording and placement, and often notification to law enforcement within a set window. In Colorado the binding figure is set by the state or the city — check the Colorado page before you pay. - SignageUsually the controlling condition - Police noticeOften required within hours - Non-consensualSo the price may be capped ## Short version - Trespass tows are non-consensual, so your state or city may cap what you are charged. - Signage wording, size and placement are usually specified by statute. - Many states require the towing company to notify police within a defined window. - An HOA or complex acting through a contractor does not lower the signage standard. **Towing and impound rules are set by state and often by city.**This page reflects Colorado as of 2026-08-17. Verify with the Colorado agency named on that page before acting. ## Signage is usually the whole case State statutes commonly prescribe the wording, minimum letter height, placement at each entrance and sometimes the inclusion of the towing company's name and phone number. Photograph the signage as it actually stood, including what is visible at the entrance you used and at night if that is when you parked. Non-compliant signage is the most common defect in a trespass tow. ## What applies in Colorado The specific rule for Colorado lives in that state's own schedule and statutes, not in a national summary, and it moves with each legislative session. Our [Colorado towing laws](/towing-laws/colorado/) page records which agency regulates, whether a non-consensual rate cap exists, the notice deadlines and the complaint route — and states plainly which items we have not yet been able to document against a primary source. The [Colorado impound](/impound/colorado/) page covers vehicle release. ## This is the category a state may price-regulate That last carve-out is the hinge. States and cities **may** cap what you are charged for a police-ordered tow or a tow off private property, because you did not choose it. They generally **may not** cap prices for a consensual tow you called for yourself. A trespass tow is non-consensual by definition, so where your state or city publishes a non-consensual schedule, it applies to this tow. ## Ask who authorised the removal Many states require the property owner or a specifically designated agent to authorise each removal rather than granting a standing licence to patrol. Where that is the rule, a towing company that removed the vehicle on its own initiative acted outside its authority, regardless of how the vehicle was parked. ## What the signage usually has to say Statutes commonly prescribe more than the presence of a sign: the wording, a minimum letter height, placement at each vehicular entrance, and frequently the towing company's name and a telephone number reachable at all hours. Some states additionally require the maximum charge to appear on the sign. Photograph what was actually posted, at the entrance you used and in the lighting you parked in — a sign that is legible at noon and invisible at midnight is a fact worth capturing. ## Patrol towing and who authorised the removal Several states prohibit a towing company from patrolling a lot and removing vehicles on its own initiative, requiring instead that the property owner or a specifically designated agent authorise each individual removal. Where that is the rule, asking who authorised this particular tow, and when, is a pointed question: an operator that cannot name a person and a time may have acted outside its authority regardless of how the vehicle was parked. ## Tenants and residents have extra footing If you live at the property, your lease and the rules given to you at signing form part of the picture, and several states impose additional steps before towing a resident's vehicle — notice on the windscreen, a waiting period, or a prohibition on towing for an expired permit without warning. A resident towed from their own assigned space usually has a stronger position than a visitor, and the lease is the first document to reread. ## Common mistakes - **Not photographing the signage before leaving the scene** — signage is the most common defect and the easiest to lose evidence of. - **Assuming a trespass tow is unregulated** — it is non-consensual, which is exactly what a state may cap. General information, not legal advice. Towing and impound law varies by state and city and changes frequently. Consult the agency listed or a licensed attorney before acting. Sources (3)- Cornell Legal Information Institute — [49 U.S.C. § 14501 — Federal authority over intrastate transportation](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/14501) (accessed 2026-08-17) T1 - U.S. Supreme Court — [City of Columbus v. Ours Garage & Wrecker Service, 536 U.S. 424 (2002)](https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/536/424/) (accessed 2026-08-17) T1 - U.S. PIRG Education Fund — [Predatory Towing — consumer protections by state](https://pirg.org/resources/predatory-towing/) (accessed 2026-08-17) T2 ## Related questions - [Can you legally tow a car off private property?](/questions/private-property-tows/can-you-legally-tow-a-car-off-private-property/) - [How to start a tow truck business?](/questions/private-property-tows/how-to-start-a-tow-truck-business/) - [Can georgia emergency vehicles be towed from private property?](/questions/private-property-tows/can-georgia-emergency-vehicles-be-towed-from-private/) - [Can landlord tow your vehicle california?](/questions/private-property-tows/can-landlord-tow-your-vehicle-california/) - [Can police tow your car from private property ohio?](/questions/private-property-tows/can-police-tow-your-car-from-private-property-ohio/) - [Can apartments tow your car legally in tennessee?](/questions/private-property-tows/can-apartments-tow-your-car-legally-in-tennessee/) - [Impound](/impound/) - [Calculators](/calculators/) - [Glossary](/glossary/) - [Your rights](/rights/)