If Harbor Police towed your car from the waterfront, you deal with the Port of San Diego, not the city. This is a different agency with its own impound rules, its own release fee, and its own phone number. If your car was towed by San Diego police from a city street (not the port), that’s a separate process. Read what it costs to get a car out of city impound instead. Quick Tow SD doesn’t run the impound lot either way. Once Harbor Police or the port’s contractor releases your car, we can send a truck to bring it home.
A lot of people don’t realize the waterfront runs on its own rulebook. Harbor Drive, Shelter Island, the Embarcadero, the airport-adjacent lots near Harbor Island, even parts of the marina areas in Chula Vista and National City fall under the San Diego Unified Port District. Harbor Police patrol that ground, not SDPD. If your car got towed from one of these areas, that detail changes who you call first.
Why the port has its own police department
The Port of San Diego is a separate government agency that manages the waterfront on behalf of five cities: San Diego, Chula Vista, National City, Coronado, and Imperial Beach. Harbor Police enforce parking and towing rules on port tidelands. They aren’t a division of SDPD, and they don’t share a database with AutoReturn, the city’s towing contractor. If you call the wrong agency, you’ll lose time.
Step 1: call Harbor Police to confirm the tow and find your car
Before you drive anywhere, call Harbor Police:
- General line: 619-686-6570
- Business hours line: 619-686-6596
Tell them where the car was parked and roughly when you noticed it missing. They can confirm whether Harbor Police towed it, whether there’s a hold on the vehicle (like an unpaid citation or an open investigation), and which storage yard is holding it. Port tows don’t always go to the same lot every time, so don’t assume. Get the exact yard address and hours before you head out.
What it costs to get your car back
The Port of San Diego charges its own vehicle release fee, separate from whatever the towing company bills for the tow itself.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Port of San Diego vehicle release fee | $232 |
| Towing company’s tow fee | Set by the tow operator |
| Towing company’s daily storage | Set by the tow operator |
That $232 is the port’s administrative release fee only. It doesn’t cover the actual tow or the days the car sits in storage. The towing company that hauled your car bills those separately, and the total adds up fast if the car sits for more than a day or two. Ask the yard for the full breakdown before you drive over, so you know how much to bring.
What to bring to get the car released
The port is strict about who can pick up the vehicle. You’ll need:
- The registered owner in person. A friend or family member can’t just show up with your keys.
- Current vehicle registration.
- Proof of current insurance.
- A valid driver’s license.
- Proof of correction, if the tow was tied to a fixable violation (like an expired tag that’s now been renewed).
- Payment for the $232 release fee plus whatever the tow yard charges for the tow and storage.
Vehicles are retrievable 24 hours a day, seven days a week once the fees are paid and Harbor Police clear the hold. But “24/7 retrievable” doesn’t always mean the release office is staffed around the clock. Confirm with Harbor Police what hours someone can actually process your paperwork.
If you can’t find the car at all
Start with Harbor Police at 619-686-6570. If they don’t have a record of towing your vehicle, it’s possible the city, not the port, is holding it instead. In that case, check our guide on how to find a towed car in San Diego, which covers AutoReturn and SDPD’s process. We also break down how AutoReturn’s system works if you’re not sure which agency has your car.
Port tow versus city tow: the short version
The confusion is understandable. Both involve a government-adjacent agency, both involve a release fee plus tow and storage costs, and both require the registered owner to show up with documents. The difference is jurisdiction. Harbor Police work waterfront property for the Port of San Diego. SDPD and AutoReturn work city streets. If you’re not sure which one towed your car, know your rights before you start making calls, and lead with Harbor Police if the tow happened anywhere near the water.
A private operator like Western Towing sometimes holds the actual vehicle under contract with the port, even though the release fee itself goes through Harbor Police. That’s normal. The agency that impounds the car and the yard that physically stores it aren’t always the same outfit.
Once your car is released
Neither Harbor Police nor the port’s contractor will drive your car home for you, and honestly, that’s not their job. Once you’ve paid the fees and have your keys in hand, emergency towing or a flatbed home is a quick call away. Quick Tow SD isn’t affiliated with the Port of San Diego or Harbor Police. We’re a private towing company that shows up once your car is actually released and gets it wherever it needs to go. Call (858) 923-5787 and we’ll send a truck out.