Does Car Insurance Cover Towing?

Last Updated on December 10, 2025

You count on your car insurance to help when something goes wrong, but does car insurance cover towing? The answer is: sometimes. Whether towing is covered depends on why you need the tow and what type of coverage you have. The circumstances surrounding your tow will determine if it’s covered at all, whether you have to pay for the tow up front, and whether you’ll be reimbursed later.

In general, car insurance can pay for towing in three situations:

After a covered accident (usually under collision or the other driver’s liability coverage)
After a covered non-accident loss, like a flood, fire, or storm (under comprehensive coverage)
When you’ve added optional roadside assistance or towing and labor coverage to your policy

Continue reading below to learn when car insurance covers towing, when it doesn’t, how roadside assistance works, and how to add towing coverage to your existing auto insurance policy.

Key Takeaways

Car insurance can cover towing after a covered accident or disaster, but basic liability policies won’t pay for most breakdown-related tows.
Towing for a simple mechanical breakdown is usually only covered if you’ve added roadside assistance or towing and labor coverage to your policy.
Add-on roadside assistance from insurers is typically inexpensive (often only a few dollars per month) compared with paying out of pocket for a tow.
Without any coverage, even a short local tow can easily cost over $100, and long-distance or after-hours tows can run several hundred dollars.

Table Of Contents

Towing After an Accident
Towing in a Flood or Other Natural Disaster
Towing When Your Vehicle Breaks Down
How the Tow Is Paid For
Getting Towing and Labor Coverage
FAQs About Insurance and Towing
Final Word – Does Insurance Cover Towing?

Towing After an Accident

If your vehicle needs a tow after a crash, coverage usually works like this:

If you were at fault and have collision coverage: Your tow to a repair shop or storage lot is typically covered as part of your collision claim (subject to your deductible).
If another driver was at fault: The other driver’s car insurance is generally responsible for paying your tow and repair bills associated with the accident. In practice, your own insurer may handle the claim first and then seek reimbursement from the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
If the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured: Your tow and repairs may be covered by your insurance if you have uninsured motorist coverage that includes property damage, or under your collision coverage, depending on your policy and state.

If your car is totaled, towing to the storage yard and reasonable storage fees related to the claim are usually covered as well. However, storage charges can add up quickly, so it’s a good idea to move your vehicle to a long-term location (like your home or a preferred shop) as soon as your insurer allows it.

Towing in a Flood or Other Natural Disaster

If your vehicle is in a flood or other natural disaster, your tow to the repair shop may be covered by your car insurance if you have comprehensive coverage. This type of coverage is designed to protect you against damage from incidents that are not a typical car-to-car accident and are outside of your control.

Comprehensive coverage often applies when your car is damaged or disabled by:

Flooding, storm surge, or heavy rain
Hurricanes, tornadoes, or windstorms
Hail or falling objects (like tree limbs)
Fire, vandalism, or theft (including towing after a stolen car is recovered)

If your vehicle won’t safely drive after one of these events, your insurer will usually cover a tow to a repair shop or another safe location, subject to your deductible and any applicable limits in your policy.

Towing When Your Vehicle Breaks Down

Typical car insurance does not cover towing if your vehicle simply breaks down on the side of the road. Even if you have what many people call “full coverage” auto insurance (liability plus collision and comprehensive), towing for a mechanical breakdown usually isn’t included.

To have breakdown tows covered, your car insurance company will likely need to add optional coverage such as roadside assistance or towing and labor coverage.

Towing and labor coverage, also called roadside assistance, will usually cover you for:

A tow to a repair shop, often up to a set number of miles or a dollar limit per tow
Jump-starting a dead battery
Bringing you gas if you run out of fuel
Changing a tire if you have a flat or blowout
Lockout services if you lock your keys in the car
Winching services if your car is stuck in mud, snow, or a ditch (within certain limits)

Your policy will spell out the details: how many service calls you get per year, the maximum tow distance (for example, 5, 15, or 100 miles), and whether the tow must go to the nearest shop or one of your choosing.

Towing Coverage by Company

Below is a list of the popular roadside assistance programs and their towing coverage limits:

Company	Towing
AAA Basic	Up to 7 miles
AAA Plus	Up to 100 miles per tow
AAA Premier	Up to 100 miles per tow; one tow up to 200 miles per year
AARP Road n Tow	Up to 10 miles per tow (Roadside Assist plan)
Allstate Towing and Labor Cost	Yes (typically 10–100 miles depending on plan)
Farmers	Yes (up to $150 per tow)
Farmers Towing and Road Service	Yes (standard roadside; enhanced options up to 100 miles with select plans)
GEICO Emergency Road Service Coverage	Up to 20 miles
Good Sam	Yes (unlimited distance to the nearest service center)
Progressive Roadside Assistance	Up to 15 miles per tow (or to the nearest repair shop)
State Farm Emergency Road Service	Yes (typically to nearest repair facility, plus limited extra miles)
Urgent.ly	Towing typically starts around $99; distance-based pricing
USAA	Yes (typically up to 50 miles per tow)

Without any towing coverage, the average cost to tow a car 20 miles in the United States can easily exceed $100, and long-distance or after-hours tows can cost several hundred dollars.

How the Tow Is Paid For

Even if you have the right type of coverage to get your tow covered by insurance, you may still have to pay for the tow up front, depending on how your policy and towing provider handle billing. In most cases, the tow will be paid for in one of three ways:

You pay first and get reimbursed later. This is common with roadside assistance or breakdown tows. You pay the towing company directly, then file a claim with your insurance company or roadside assistance provider. They reimburse you up to the limits in your policy.
The tow company bills the insurer or shop directly. If your car is in an accident and the tow company is affiliated with the repair shop your car is being taken to, you may not have to pay for the tow up front. The tow charge can be added to the repair bill, and either your insurance or the at-fault driver’s insurance pays for the tow and repairs once the claim is processed.
Your coverage only pays part of the bill. If the tow costs more than your policy’s limit (for example, you’re towed farther than your mileage allowance), your insurer or roadside assistance provider will pay up to their limit, and you’ll pay the rest.

If you do have to pay for the tow up front after an auto accident, how you get reimbursed may vary. If the accident was your fault, the amount you paid for the tow is usually treated as part of your claim costs. For example, if you have a $500 deductible and pay $150 for the tow, your insurer might only collect the remaining $350 from you toward the deductible. If the other driver was at fault, you will need to report the amount of the tow bill to their insurance company so that you can be reimbursed for the tow along with the repairs.

Getting Towing and Labor Coverage

If your car insurance does not already include towing and labor coverage or roadside assistance, you have several options for getting this protection:

Add roadside assistance to your auto policy. Most insurers offer a low-cost roadside assistance or towing and labor add-on. This is usually the simplest option because billing is handled directly through your insurer when you have a claim.
Join a standalone roadside assistance program. There are companies that offer roadside assistance coverage specifically, such as AAA Auto, along with other motor clubs and on-demand services. These programs specialize in roadside assistance and towing coverage that can protect you in most situations where you need a tow, even if the tow isn’t tied to an insurance claim.
Use coverage from your automaker or lender. You may also have roadside assistance and towing and labor coverage through your auto loan lender or the car manufacturer. If you have purchased the car new from a dealer, chances are you have towing coverage and roadside assistance during the warranty period of your vehicle. Certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles and some extended service contracts can include similar benefits.
Check your credit cards and memberships. Some credit cards and membership programs include limited roadside assistance or towing benefits. These usually work on a pay-per-use or reimbursement basis and may have strict dollar limits, so read the fine print carefully.

In many of these cases, if you contact the correct roadside assistance number, you may not have to pay for the tow up front. The roadside assistance representative will contact a tow company directly and arrange service, often billing your insurer, club, or membership provider instead of you.

FAQs About Insurance and Towing

Does my car insurance automatically cover towing?

Not always. Basic liability insurance usually does not cover towing for breakdowns. Towing is typically covered in three situations: after a covered accident (under collision or the other driver’s liability coverage), after a covered non-accident loss like a flood or fire (under comprehensive coverage), or when you’ve added optional towing and labor or roadside assistance coverage to your policy.

Is towing covered after an accident?

Yes, in most cases. If you’re at fault and carry collision coverage, your insurer will usually pay to tow your damaged vehicle to a repair shop or storage facility, subject to your deductible. If another driver is at fault, their liability insurance is typically responsible for reasonable towing and storage costs related to the accident.

Does insurance cover towing if my car just breaks down?

Generally no, unless you’ve added roadside assistance or towing and labor coverage. Standard auto policies don’t pay for towing caused by mechanical failures, dead batteries, overheating, or running out of gas. With roadside assistance, those types of tows are usually covered up to your plan limits.

How much does a tow cost without insurance coverage?

Costs vary, but even a short local tow can easily exceed $100 once you factor in the hookup fee and per-mile charges. Long-distance tows, after-hours service, or difficult recoveries (like winching your car out of a ditch) can push the bill into the several-hundred-dollar range or more.

Do I have to pay for the tow upfront?

Sometimes. With many roadside assistance plans, the provider bills your insurer or motor club directly, so you don’t pay at the scene. In other cases—especially after accidents—you may pay the towing company yourself and then submit the receipt to your insurer or roadside assistance provider for reimbursement, up to your coverage limits.

What is towing and labor or roadside assistance coverage?

Towing and labor (also called roadside assistance) is optional coverage you can add to your policy. It usually helps pay for common roadside emergencies—towing to a repair shop, jump-starts, tire changes, fuel delivery, lockout service, and winching if you’re stuck. Each plan has its own mileage or dollar limits and rules about which tow destinations are allowed.

Is towing covered if my car is damaged by a flood, storm, or other disaster?

If you have comprehensive coverage, yes—towing is often covered when your vehicle is disabled by events like floods, storms, hail, fire, vandalism, or falling objects. In those cases, the tow is typically part of your comprehensive claim and is subject to your deductible and any applicable limits.

How can I add towing coverage to my policy?

Call your insurer or log in to your online account and ask to add roadside assistance or towing and labor coverage. It usually costs just a few dollars per month. You can also buy coverage through a motor club (like AAA), your vehicle manufacturer’s roadside program, or sometimes even a credit card or membership program. Always compare benefits and limits before choosing.

Final Word – Does Insurance Cover Towing?

Your car insurance will cover towing only if you have the right type of coverage for the situation that caused the tow. Most car insurance companies offer towing and labor coverage or roadside assistance coverage as an add-on to their car insurance policies. If your auto insurance has this type of coverage, your insurance will usually cover towing after a breakdown, up to your plan’s limits.

Towing after an accident or covered disaster is often paid under collision or comprehensive coverage, or by the at-fault driver’s liability insurance. If you carry only basic liability insurance and no roadside assistance, you’ll typically have to pay for any non-accident tows yourself.

There are also other companies, like AAA, Urgent.ly, Good Sam, that offer towing and labor coverage to anyone (not just auto insurance policyholders). It is important to remember that even with these specialized companies offering roadside assistance and towing, your up-front costs may still come out of your pocket if the provider requires you to pay first and file for reimbursement.

Usually, you will have to pay for the tow up front and then file a claim with the roadside assistance coverage company to get reimbursed, or the tow company will bill your insurer or roadside assistance provider directly, depending on how your plan is set up. Because a single tow can be expensive, it is a good idea to always have some money in savings in case incidents like this arise. The coverage will not do you much good if you can’t pay up front for the services or cover any amount that exceeds your plan’s limits.

The bottom line: if you want towing to be covered in as many situations as possible, make sure you have collision and comprehensive coverage for accident-related and disaster-related tows, and add roadside assistance or towing and labor coverage for everyday breakdowns.