A blocked driveway can leave your car trapped at home. Before requesting a tow, document the position and determine who controls the ground beneath the vehicle. Houston streets, private driveways, apartment lots, and HOA property don’t follow one shared removal process.
Document where the vehicle is sitting
Start with clear photos from your property. Capture the entire vehicle, its position, and the driveway entrance in one frame. Then photograph the front, rear, license plate, and nearby signs. Don’t edit or crop the original images.
Show whether the car crosses the driveway apron or sits beside it. That distinction matters because a blocked entrance isn’t the same as unwanted curb parking. Include your parked car or closed gate when it helps show why access is blocked.
Write down when you first noticed the vehicle. Record any conversation with the driver, tenant, guest, manager, or neighbor. If the driver returns, keep your notes factual. Describe what happened without guessing why the person parked there.
Houston addresses can sit near a jurisdiction boundary. A location in the East End may be within the City of Houston, while property farther toward Channelview may involve another public authority. Confirm the exact address before asking an agency or operator to act.
Look for property markers too. A fence, gate, curb, sidewalk, driveway apron, or parking sign can help explain where the vehicle sits. Those features don’t determine towing authority by themselves, but they give the property contact or public authority a clearer picture.
Keep a photo of any tow-away sign near the entrance. Texas private-property towing rules include detailed sign requirements. The sign’s placement and wording may matter if removal is later contested.
Separate a blocked driveway from curb parking
A vehicle directly across the driveway entrance creates a different problem from a car parked along the curb. Take one wide photo that makes the difference obvious.
The approved Houston claims ledger doesn’t confirm the exact rule that applies to every public-street driveway obstruction. It also doesn’t confirm that an adjacent homeowner may personally authorize a tow from a Houston street. Contact the applicable public authority and describe the vehicle’s exact position. Ask which department currently handles the report.
Someone parking in front of your house isn’t automatically the same as blocking your driveway. The curb may be controlled by the city or another jurisdiction, even when it borders your home. Ownership of the house doesn’t establish control over the public street.
Don’t ask a private towing operator to decide whether curb parking violates a Houston rule. Tow Pro Houston doesn’t enforce street parking, direct police action, or determine whether a public-street removal is lawful.
The location also changes outside Houston city limits. An address in unincorporated Harris County may follow a different reporting path. Pasadena and other nearby cities have their own public authorities. Confirm the jurisdiction using the property address, then ask that authority for its current procedure.
Give the agency your photos, the plate if visible, and the direction the vehicle faces. Explain whether you’re trapped in, unable to enter, or simply concerned about curb parking. Those details let the authority classify the problem without relying on assumptions.
Identify who controls the property
Private property can involve several decision-makers. A single-family homeowner, landlord, apartment manager, commercial manager, and HOA may hold different authority. A tenant or resident shouldn’t assume that occupying the property automatically allows them to order a tow.
For a house, confirm whether the vehicle sits inside the property line or remains on the public street. A driveway apron can meet a city-controlled curb or sidewalk. The approved claims ledger doesn’t resolve removal authority for every part of that boundary.
At an apartment complex, contact the manager or the towing contact shown on the property’s signs. Ask who may authorize removal under the current parking policy. Photograph your permit, assigned space, lease parking notice, and the blocked access point.
For an HOA street or shared drive, contact the association or its property manager. Ask whether the roadway is public, privately maintained, or controlled through recorded parking rules. Don’t rely on a neighbor’s interpretation.
Texas requires specific signs for many private-property towing situations. The approved requirements say signs must be visible to entering drivers and placed at each driveway or curb cut. A wider entrance may require signs at set intervals. Signs must be permanently mounted between five and eight feet above the ground.
Each sign must be weather-resistant and at least 18 inches wide by 24 inches tall. It must show the international tow symbol, parking permissions or prohibitions, enforcement days and times, and a phone number with an area code.
Those requirements don’t prove that you personally can authorize removal. They’re part of the information the controlling property party and licensed operator must review. Our private property towing referral service can connect an authorized property contact with an operator, but the operator must confirm the job’s legal basis.
Confirm the current towing authority
Once you know who controls the location, verify the removal path before dispatch. For a public street, use the authority responsible for that address. For private property, ask the owner, manager, landlord, or HOA contact to confirm who may authorize the tow.
The approved claims ledger doesn’t establish that every Houston resident can order blocked driveway towing. It also doesn’t confirm one universal notice rule for houses, apartments, HOA roads, and public curbs. Ask the controlling party or public authority what the current process requires.
Any operator performing the tow must hold the proper Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation license. Texas has separate Incident Management, Private Property, and Consent Tow license types. You can review consumer information and find the state’s license search through TDLR towing consumer information.
If an operator accepts a private-property tow, ask which license applies. Confirm the operator’s license status before authorizing work. The customer contracts directly with the operator, not Tow Pro Houston.
If you’re the vehicle owner and arrive before removal, speak directly with the operator. Don’t assume the outcome or fee. The approved ledger confirms government-set drop-fee limits, but the applicable amount depends on vehicle weight and the governing authority. Ask the operator what rule and rate apply before paying.
A driver whose vehicle was towed without consent may request a hearing on whether probable cause existed. Texas law requires a written request before the fourteenth day after removal, excluding weekends and holidays. That clock starts only after the towing operator or storage facility provides the information needed to file. The hearing belongs in a justice court within the county where the tow occurred.
If required private-property signs weren’t compliant, the driver can raise that issue during the tow hearing. Keep your original photos and paperwork.
Find the vehicle if it has already moved
A vehicle may disappear before you return outside. The owner might have moved it, or an authorized tow may have occurred. Check the street and nearby legal spaces before assuming it was towed.
For a City of Houston tow, search Find My Towed Car using the plate or vehicle identification number. The approved claims ledger says city tow records are generally updated within about two hours. Houston doesn’t operate one central impound lot. Police and city tows go to a network of licensed private vehicle storage facilities.
For a tow from unincorporated Harris County, use the county-specific search at findmytowedcar.org/harriscountytow. Don’t use the City of Houston search as the only check when the address falls outside city jurisdiction.
Once you locate the vehicle, write down the storage facility’s name and contact details. Verify that the facility holds a TDLR license. Ask what identification, ownership documents, and payment methods it currently requires before traveling there.
Texas vehicle storage facilities must also be TDLR-licensed. The approved ledger states that stored vehicle owners may access their personal property without an added access fee. Other storage and impound charges may apply under state rules, so request an itemized explanation from the facility.
If the tow appears improper, preserve the signs, parking documents, receipts, and location photos. Ask the facility for the information needed to request a tow hearing. Don’t delay because the filing period is limited.
When to call us
Call when the property contact has confirmed authority and needs a licensed towing operator. Tow Pro Houston dispatches and refers callers to licensed, insured operators, while the operator confirms the removal and sets the price. Call us at (346) 443-5499 and we’ll connect you with an operator who handles this work.