During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of parking tickets issued in New York City has significantly decreased. However, since the city resumed full enforcement in May 2022, there has been a surge in violation records. In 2023, a total of 134,945 vehicles were wheel-locked for violations, which is four times more than the 31,379 vehicles in the entire city in 2020.
According to the NYC311 website, vehicles may be wheel-locked if the owner owes $350 or more for over 100 days. If the fines are not paid within 48 hours, the vehicle may be towed. Vehicles that are towed and remain unclaimed for 10 working days may be auctioned off.
Reported by Gothamist, with the increased deployment of automatic cameras on the streets, it is anticipated that the total fines for vehicle owners in 2024 will reach a new high. So far, 74,975 vehicles have been wheel-locked, with accumulated fines exceeding $118 million. In 2023, over 1,100 vehicles were auctioned, and 8,274 vehicles were marked as “runaways,” indicating owners managed to unlock the wheel locks and drive away.
City Marshals responsible for towing and enforcement tasks reported a total net profit of around $19.5 million in 2023, including revenue from towing vehicles and other enforcement measures.
Apart from outstanding fines, vehicles parked in front of fire hydrants, blocking public transportation, or those without valid registrations (no valid license plates) face a higher possibility of being towed.
The departments in charge of towing in New York City include the NYPD, City Marshals, and the Sheriff’s Office. Once vehicles are towed, they are stored in impound lots located in the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Queens.
As per the NYPD website, the standard towing fee for regular vehicles is $185, while heavy-duty vehicles incur a fee of $370. Storage costs $20 per night, and a lockout fee amounts to $185. If a towed vehicle has an expired inspection sticker, the owner must pay an additional $250 fine.
City Marshals are supervised by the NYC Department of Investigation (DOI). Unlike the Sheriff’s Office, they are not official city employees but are appointed by the mayor. City Marshals collect fees as mandated by law from the cases they handle privately and retain 5% of the amount collected when executing judgments. Additionally, they are required to pay an annual fee to the city government, which consists of $1,500 plus 4.5% of their total income.