My car has been towed. Who pays, and how do I get my car back?
In short
If you parked wrongly, you pay the towing and storage costs. The local police will tell you where the car is. You may also get a parking fine.
Video transcript
You're back from shopping. The car you parked in the wrong place is gone. It depends: If you parked wrongly, you pay the towing and storage costs. If you parked correctly, you don't. The right way: First call the local police. Take your ID and car papers, and collect the car from the towing company straight away. Costs: Amount: Set by municipality/police; Storage: Goes up day by day; Also: Parking fine.
What is not allowed, what is required?
- If a wrongly parked vehicle blocks traffic or an entrance, the police can have it towed away (takelen / dépanner, enlever).
- If the driver is not there or refuses to move the vehicle, it is towed at the driver's risk and expense.
- If you parked correctly and your vehicle was towed while you were away (e.g. because of roadworks), you do not pay the towing costs.
- If your car is no longer where you parked it, first call the local police or go to the police station. If the car was towed on police orders, the police can tell you which towing company has it.
- Storage costs usually increase every day, so collect the vehicle as soon as possible. Bring your identity card and the vehicle documents.
Penalty and indirect consequences
- Fine / payment
- The towing and storage charges are set by the municipality or the police zone. The amount depends on the weight of the vehicle and the number of days it is stored. A fine for illegal parking comes on top of this.
Legal basis:Stad Antwerpen – Informatiefiche depannage
- Court / prison
- No prison sentence. Ignoring a police order to move the vehicle is a 3rd-degree offence (191 €; in court 300 € – 5.000 €).
Legal basis:KB 30.9.2005, art. 3, 2° (Justel)wegcode.be – Overtredingen per graad
What really matters: the indirect consequences
- Example: in Antwerp, the towing tax (takelbelasting) and the GAS fine are two separate procedures, and each must be contested separately
Legal basis:Stad Antwerpen – Informatiefiche depannage
- In Antwerp, you can contest the towing tax within 3 months of the payment date
Legal basis:Stad Antwerpen – Informatiefiche depannage
- If the vehicle is not collected for a long time, storage costs build up; you can get free first-line legal advice
What do these terms mean?
- GAS fine
- An administrative fine imposed by the municipality itself. It is not a criminal sentence. The maximum is €500 for adults and €175 for minors. You can appeal within 1 month to the police court (the youth court for minors).
Why does this rule exist?
A badly parked vehicle can block an ambulance, a bus or the entrance to a house. Towing clears the road quickly, and the person who made the mistake pays the costs, not the taxpayer.
Where can you go?
- Municipal driving licence serviceExchanging a foreign driving licence and other licence matters
- Free first-line legal adviceIf you have been summoned to the police court (juridische eerstelijnsbijstand / aide juridique de première ligne)
- Social interpreterAt the municipality, the OCMW/CPAS, school and hospital, you can ask for an interpreter in your language; it is often free.
This site does not handle individual cases; it points you to the right service. All help addresses
Source and reliability
Official source- Source check
- 10 / 10 statements in an official source
- Checked: 13.10.2026
- Last checked
- 13.10.2026
- Rules can change
Show the 10 checked statementsopen
- Found in an official source
Yetkili kişi aracı ambtshalve taşıtabilir; risk ve masraf sürücüye
KB 1.12.1975, art. 4.4 (Justel) - Found in an official source
Doğru park etmiş ve yoksa masraf yok
KB 1.12.1975, art. 4.4 (Justel) - Found in an official source
Antwerpen: idari çekmede 7 gün içinde alınırsa ödeme yok
Stad Antwerpen – Informatiefiche depannage - Found in an official source
Bekletme ücreti gün sayısına göre
Stad Antwerpen – Informatiefiche depannage - Found in an official source
Tutar ağırlık ve gün sayısına göre; belediye vergisi
Stad Antwerpen – Informatiefiche depannage - Found in an official source
Aracı taşıma emrine uymamak 3. derece
KB 30.9.2005, art. 3, 2° (Justel) - Found in an official source
3. derece 191 €, mahkeme 300–5.000 €
wegcode.be – Overtredingen per graad (derece ve anında ödeme tutarları Justel KB 30.9.2005 ve KB 19.4.2014 ile karşılaştırıldı, 16.10.2026; 10,67 €, uzlaşma ve mahkeme tutarları bekliyor) - Found in an official source
Antwerpen: GAS ve çekme vergisi iki ayrı işlem
Stad Antwerpen – Informatiefiche depannage - Found in an official source
Antwerpen: 3 ay içinde itiraz
Stad Antwerpen – Informatiefiche depannage - Found in an official source
Polis çekici firmanın kimliğini söyler (örnek polis bölgesi)
Zone de police Bruxelles Nord (5344) – Mon véhicule a été dépanné
The checked statements are in Turkish, as in the source text. This check does not replace legal advice.
General information, not legal advice. For your own situation, ask a lawyer or free legal aid. How was this information prepared?