Roadside help written into your auto policy.
Towing and road service added to your car insurance, compared with the auto club or other roadside plan you may already pay for.
Quick answer Roadside assistance coverage, called towing and road service on an auto policy, includes a tow and labor at the scene when your car is disabled, up to the limit the policy sets, often per tow.
- The California Department of Insurance lists towing and road service as an optional extra on an auto policy, so it isn't included unless you chose it.
- The roadside endorsement on an auto policy spells out what counts as labor, so read it before relying on it.
- Roadside coverage doesn't pay for a rental car; rental reimbursement is a separate add-on that helps pay for a rental while your car is repaired after a covered accident.
- Towing and labor coverage pays up to a limit, often set per tow, and any cost above that limit is yours to pay.
- An auto club membership may already include towing, so compare it with your auto policy's declarations page to avoid paying for roadside help twice.
By Sam Alishahi · CA Insurance License #4348151 · Reviewed November 2026 · How this page is researched
An add-on, not part of the basics
Towing and road service is an optional add-on to a personal auto policy. It pays for a tow and labor at the scene when your car is disabled, up to the limit the policy sets, often stated per tow. The California Department of Insurance lists it next to rental reimbursement as an extra you can buy, so it isn't there unless you chose it.
If you belong to an auto club, you may already have roadside help, and paying for it twice adds up. I check what your current policy and memberships include, then quote your auto policy with and without towing and road service so you can see the difference in dollars.
- TowingA tow when the car can't be driven, up to the policy's limit.
- Labor at the sceneWork done where the car broke down, as the endorsement defines it.
- Rental reimbursementA separate add-on that helps pay for a rental while your car is repaired after a covered accident.
- Auto clubA membership you may already have. Check it before adding towing to your policy.
What underwriters will ask
Having these ready means I can go to market on the first call. The quote form asks for the same things, and anything you don’t know yet can wait.
- Vehicles: year, make and model of each car.
- Current policy: the declarations page showing which add-ons you already carry.
- Memberships: any auto club or other roadside plan you pay for.
- Drivers: everyone in the household who drives.
- Use: commuting distance, pleasure or business.
- Wish list: towing, rental reimbursement or both.
What a motor club is under California law
In California, a roadside plan sold by a club falls under Part 5 of the Insurance Code, titled Motor Clubs, and the Insurance Commissioner oversees it. Under Section 12142, a motor club sells, furnishes or procures motor club service. The same chapter defines towing service as a motor club moving a vehicle under other power than its own (Section 12145) and emergency road service as a motor club adjusting, repairing or replacing equipment, tires or mechanical parts so the vehicle runs under its own power (Section 12146).
What the code says about clubs
- Section 12160 bars anyone from rendering or agreeing to render motor club service in California without first getting a certificate of authority from the commissioner to act as a motor club.
- Section 12140 says the motor club part does not apply to an admitted insurer, so a towing and road service endorsement from an admitted insurer sits outside the motor club rules.
- Under Section 12142(b), a business that only offers member savings on car-related purchases, road maps or travel help (Sections 12148, 12152 and 12153) is not a motor club. A plan that also furnishes towing or road service does not fit that exception.
If someone sells you a roadside membership by phone or online, ask for the club’s exact business name and confirm with the California Department of Insurance that it holds a motor club certificate of authority before you pay. Outside California, rules on motor clubs vary by state.
Your rights with a tow company after a crash
California Vehicle Code 22513 makes it a misdemeanor for a tow company or operator to stop at an accident scene or near a disabled vehicle to solicit towing unless law enforcement, a public agency, or the vehicle’s owner or operator summoned it or asked it to stop.
Before your car is hooked up
- If you are there, the operator must give you a written itemized estimate before attaching the car: the company’s name, address, phone and motor carrier permit number, the truck’s plate number, the operator’s name, and each service and its cost, with storage stated as a 24-hour rate.
- You sign the estimate and get a copy. No charge may exceed the estimated price without your prior consent.
- On a tow requested by law enforcement or a public agency, the estimate can come after the car is moved to the nearest safe shoulder or street, but before it leaves there. The rule doesn’t cover a tow your motor club sends at your request, or a company under towing contract with the agency that called it.
Before you pay storage
Under Vehicle Code 22651.07, you get an itemized invoice before paying, and you can collect personal property at no charge during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding state holidays), retrieve the car during the first 72 hours of storage without paying a lien fee, and inspect it without a fee; your insurer can inspect it at no charge during normal business hours. You may pay by cash, insurer’s check or a valid bank credit card. The Towing and Storage Fees and Access Notice the facility must post says you choose the repair facility, no repairs are made unless you authorize them in writing, and towing and repair authorizations must be on separate forms. A violator can owe the owner or the owner’s insurer up to twice the amount charged, capped at $500 per vehicle. See my repair shop rights page.
Roadside assistance coverage, answered
Is roadside assistance included in car insurance?
Not automatically. The California Department of Insurance lists towing and road service as an optional coverage you can add to an auto policy, along with rental reimbursement. Your declarations page shows whether you have it.
What's the difference between roadside coverage and an auto club?
Roadside coverage is part of your insurance policy and pays up to the limit it states. An auto club is a separate membership. If you already belong to one, you may already have towing, so check before adding it to your policy.
Is there a limit on towing?
Yes. Towing and labor coverage pays up to a limit, often set per tow, and anything above it is yours to pay. The limit is in the policy.
Does roadside coverage pay for a rental car?
No. That's rental reimbursement, a separate add-on that helps pay for a rental while your car is repaired after a covered accident.
What does towing and labor pay for?
The cost of a tow and labor at the scene when your car is disabled, up to the policy limit. The endorsement spells out what counts as labor, so read it before you rely on it.
How do I know if I'm paying for roadside help twice?
Compare your declarations page with any auto club membership or other roadside plan you pay for. If both include towing, you may be able to drop one. I'll line them up for you.
Can a tow truck show up at my accident without being called in California?
Not to solicit your business. Under Vehicle Code 22513, stopping at an accident scene to solicit towing is a misdemeanor unless law enforcement, a public agency, or the vehicle's owner or operator summoned the tow truck or asked it to stop.
Do you offer roadside assistance coverage outside California?
Yes. Clients across the country send the same quote form. Sam Alishahi is licensed in all 50 states and Washington, DC and places policies there directly. The shopping across carriers works the same way. Rules, minimums and markets differ by state — see insurance requirements by state.
Official sources
- California Department of Insurance: Automobile insurance guide, text version (endorsements: towing and road service, rental reimbursement)
- Louisiana Department of Insurance: Auto insurance guide (towing and labor coverage, auto club overlap)
- Cal. Insurance Code 12140 (motor club part does not apply to admitted insurers)
- Cal. Insurance Code 12142 (motor club defined)
- Cal. Insurance Code 12145 (towing service)
- Cal. Insurance Code 12146 (emergency road service)
- Cal. Insurance Code 12160 (certificate of authority)
- Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel: Roadside Assistance
- California DMV: California Driver Handbook, Safe Driving (Freeway Service Patrol)
- Cal. Vehicle Code 22513 (tow solicitation, itemized estimate)
- Cal. Vehicle Code 22651.07 (invoice, owner rights, Towing and Storage Fees and Access Notice)
- Cal. Vehicle Code 22524.5 (insurer liability, reasonable towing and storage fees)
Send your declarations page. I'll check the add-ons.
Your current auto policy and any auto club card are enough to start.
Alishahi Insurance · Saman Alishahi, independent insurance broker, California License #4348151. General information, not a quote or a promise of coverage; coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.
Tell me how to reach you. I’ll take it from there.
Takes about 30 seconds. Your next step comes by email, and you get an update at every step until your quotes are ready.
(877) 711-4545Answered 24/7 · CA License #4348151
Get a reminder before your renewal.
Tell me when your policy renews and I’ll email you about six weeks before, when it’s worth comparing. One email, no calls.