"Who pays for this?" is usually the second question after a crash, right after "is everyone OK?" The honest answer is that it depends on your coverage, the other driver's coverage, who was at fault, and who called the tow. The practical answer is simpler: on accident towing in Columbus, we bill the insurance company, so what you need at the scene is a claim number, not a credit card.
Here is how the bill usually gets paid in Ohio, the questions to ask your insurer before the truck leaves, and the situations where the money comes from somewhere else. This is general information, not legal advice; your policy and your adjuster have the final word on coverage.
The short version
- You call the tow: we bill your insurer once you give us the claim number and adjuster details.
- The other driver was at fault: their insurer may end up paying for the tow and storage as part of your property-damage claim, but that can take time; your own policy may pay first and recover it later.
- The officer calls the tow: the towing company or lot holding the car bills the owner, and the owner or insurer pays to get it released.
- No coverage applies: the owner pays, from the published rate card or fee schedule that applies.
Your own policy: what to ask on the phone
Coverage for a tow after a crash usually sits in the part of an auto policy that pays for damage to your own car, and some policies add separate towing or roadside coverage. Policies differ, so ask your insurer three questions while you are still at the scene or right after:
- Is towing and storage covered on this claim, and is there a limit?
- Where do you want the car to go? A body shop of your choice, an insurer-designated location, or a tow yard to wait for an appraiser.
- What is the claim number and who is the adjuster? Those two details are what let a towing company bill the insurer directly.
On where the car goes, the Ohio Department of Insurance's Automobile Insurance Guide is direct: "It's your car. You can have it repaired wherever you choose unless your policy language specifically states otherwise."
When the other driver was at fault
If the other driver caused the crash, their insurer may pay your towing and storage as part of your property-damage claim. The catch is timing: fault has to be sorted out, and while that happens the car sits somewhere and storage keeps running. Many drivers open the claim on their own policy first so the car can move and be repaired, and let their insurer recover the money from the other side. Ask your insurer which route fits your situation.
If the other driver had no insurance, Ohio Revised Code 4509.06 lets a person involved in the crash send a written report to the BMV within six months alleging that a driver or owner was uninsured. That is a separate process from your claim, and it does not pay the tow by itself.
When you choose the tow company
When the officer allows you to pick the company, you have the most control over the bill. On Columbus police scenes, the Division's Directive 6.01 tells officers to advise the owner or operator that they are responsible for all towing and storage fees and for deciding where the car goes. That makes the destination your decision, and it is the biggest lever you have on cost.
Ohio Revised Code 4513.68 adds a useful protection for these tows: when a tow was not ordered by police or a property owner, the towing company must give the driver a written estimate of the fees, services and destination if the driver asks. Our dispatcher quotes every job from the published rate card before hookup: a $125 hook-up, $7 per loaded mile and $4 per mile en-route from our yard, with any surcharges listed. Those are the numbers your adjuster will see on the bill.
When the officer calls the tow
If the officer orders the tow, for example because the car has to be impounded or is blocking freeway lanes, the bill comes from whoever holds the car. For Columbus police impounds, the City publishes its fees; on November 6, 2026, the City's Impounded Vehicles page listed a $125 towing fee (more for vehicles over 7,000 pounds), plus a $30 administrative fee and $18 storage that apply only if certified notification has been sent. Ohio's PUCO fee caps in OAC 4901:2-24-03 cover private-property tows, not police-ordered ones.
The owner pays the lot to release the car, and then submits the receipt to the insurer if the policy covers it. Our guide to police-called tows in Columbus covers where those cars go and what to bring, and getting your car out of the Columbus impound lot walks through release day.
Storage: the part of the bill that grows
The tow is a one-time charge. Storage is charged every day the car sits. At our lot it starts the day of the tow, at $45 a day from the rate card, which is why we push for a quick decision on the destination. The single best way to keep the total down is to tow straight to the body shop when you can, and to get the adjuster our contact details the same day. Our post on towing and storage fees after an accident goes deeper.
If insurance does not cover all of it
Sometimes a policy has no collision coverage, a limit is lower than the bill, or the other driver's insurer denies the claim. In that case the owner pays the balance. With us, payment plans are available only in extenuating circumstances, at the owner's discretion, and veterans with a military or VA ID get 10% off retail rates. Call and ask before you assume you cannot afford to move the car, because every extra storage day makes the gap bigger.
What to have ready for the tow driver
- The insurer's name and your policy number.
- The claim number, or the time you plan to open the claim.
- The adjuster's name and phone number, once assigned.
- The destination: our lot, your body shop, or an insurer-designated location.
- The crash report number from the officer.
Bring that to the call and the rest of the bill is between us and your insurer. The full picture of what happens at the scene, from cleanup to delivery, is on our accident and collision towing page, and the freeway version is in what to do after a crash on a Columbus freeway.
Frequently asked questions
Does car insurance pay for towing after an accident?
Often, but it depends on your policy. Towing and storage after a crash are usually handled with the coverage that pays for damage to your own car, and some policies add separate towing coverage. Ask your insurer whether towing and storage are covered on your claim and whether there is a limit.
Does the at-fault driver's insurance pay for my tow?
It may, as part of your property-damage claim, but fault has to be settled first and storage keeps running in the meantime. Many drivers open the claim on their own policy so the car can move, and let their insurer recover the money later. Ask your insurer which route fits your case.
Do I have to pay the tow truck at the scene of an accident?
Not with us. On accident tows we bill the insurer, so give the driver your insurer, claim number and adjuster's contact. If coverage does not apply, the owner pays the balance from the published rate card.
Who pays when the police order the tow?
The owner pays whoever holds the car to release it, then submits the receipt to the insurer if the policy covers it. For Columbus police impounds, the City publishes its fees. Ohio's PUCO fee caps apply to private-property tows, not police-ordered ones.
Sources, opened November 6, 2026: Ohio Department of Insurance Automobile Insurance Guide; Ohio Revised Code 4513.68 and 4509.06; Columbus Division of Police Directive 6.01; City of Columbus Impounded Vehicles; Ohio Administrative Code 4901:2-24-03. This post is general information, not legal advice.
Car needs to move after a crash? When the officer lets you choose, call (740) 812-9489 with your claim number, or send your location from the SOS request page.