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Reference

California Vehicle Code: Key Sections Every Driver Should Know

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The California Vehicle Code (CVC) is the body of state law that governs everything from how fast you can drive to who can tow your car and what they can charge for it. When something goes wrong — your car gets towed, you get into an accident, you get a notice from a private property owner — knowing the actual section number gives you leverage. Below are the CVC sections that come up most often in towing, impound, and accident situations.

Towing & impound authority

  • CVC 22651 — Authority for peace officers (and certain public employees) to remove a vehicle from a highway or public property. Spells out the specific situations in which a vehicle may be towed (abandoned, blocking traffic, parked over 72 hours, driver arrested, expired registration, etc.). See our guide to abandoned-vehicle tow authority for a plain-English breakdown.
  • CVC 22658 — Authority for private property owners to have unauthorized vehicles towed from their lot. Imposes specific signage, notice, and rate requirements that tow companies and property owners frequently violate. See private property towing in California.
  • CVC 22650.5 — Rate disclosure and authorization-to-tow requirements. Requires written authorization and a posted rate before a tow can occur in many situations.
  • CVC 22852 — Right to a post-storage hearing. After your car is towed and stored, you have the right to a hearing within 48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) to contest the tow. See your rights under California towing law.
  • CVC 22853 — Lien sale process. Governs how and when a tow yard can sell your car to satisfy storage fees. Strict notice and timeline requirements apply.

Accidents & hit and run

  • CVC 20001 — Felony hit and run. Failure to stop and exchange information after a collision involving injury or death. This is a serious criminal offense.
  • CVC 20002 — Misdemeanor hit and run. Failure to stop after a collision involving only property damage. Includes parked-car hit and runs. See what to do after a hit and run in San Diego.
  • CVC 20008 — Requirement to file a written report with CHP or local police within 24 hours of any collision involving injury or death.

Insurance & financial responsibility

  • CVC 16000 — Requirement to file an SR-1 report with DMV within 10 days of any accident causing injury, death, or more than $1,000 in property damage. Failure to file can result in license suspension regardless of fault.

How to use this reference

If a tow operator, property manager, or police officer takes an action you think is improper, the first question to ask is: what CVC section authorizes that action? Real authority comes from a specific section. If they cannot cite one, you have grounds to push back.

When you call your insurance company, your attorney, or the city attorney's consumer protection unit, citing the relevant section by number signals that you know what you're talking about and gets you taken seriously much faster than vague complaints.

For deeper guides on each of these sections, follow the internal links above or browse the full set of guides in our towing laws section.

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