If you can, call your insurer before the tow truck leaves. The Government of Alberta advises drivers whose cars can’t be driven to contact their insurance company so arrangements can be made. Often, your insurer will tell you where the car should go, which makes the decision much easier.
You Choose Where Your Car Goes
Alberta's Vehicle Towing and Storage Regulation says a tow company can only take your car somewhere you've agreed to. Police-ordered tows are the exception.
That's why we settle it on the phone. When someone calls Maverick Towing & Recovery for collision towing in Edmonton, we agree on the drop-off before the truck is even booked. Shop, dealer, driveway or storage: you tell us.
Where Should I Tow My Car After an Accident? The 4 Options Compared
The short version, if you're standing on the shoulder working out where to tow your car after an accident:
- A body shop you choose. Best when you already trust a shop and the car is clearly fixable. Tell your insurer, and check the shop’s licence.
- Your insurer’s shop or yard. Best when the car may be a write-off, or you want the claim moving fast. It’s a suggestion, not a rule.
- Your dealership. Best when the car is newer or still under warranty. Not every dealer does its own body work.
- Home. Best when you need a few days to decide and have space off the street. Get your insurer’s okay, and plan for a second tow.
Option 1: A Body Shop You Choose
Can I choose my own body shop? In Alberta, yes. The province says you have the right to have the damage estimated and repaired at the auto body shop of your choice. Your insurer may recommend a shop. It isn’t allowed to insist.
The catch is small but real. If you pick the shop, the province puts responsibility for a good repair on you, not on the insurer. So ask a few things first. Are they licensed? You can check through AMVIC, the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council. Will they give you a written estimate? Do they offer a written warranty on the repair? Will they charge storage while the car waits?
Then send your adjuster the shop’s name.
If the damage is light and you already have a shop you like, go there—no need to overthink it.
Option 2: Your Insurer’s Shop or Yard
Heavy damage changes things. If there’s a real chance the car is a write-off, the insurer’s yard is often the sensible stop. The adjuster can look at it there, and you’re not paying to move a car into a shop that might never touch it.
Preferred shops often come with a repair guarantee, but the province says it’s often just the shop’s own. Ask who’s actually standing behind it.
Do you have to use their shop? Rarely. To take over the repair, your insurer has to send you formal written notice within 7 days of receiving your completed proof of loss form. The province says insurers rarely do it.
Option 3: Your Dealership
Newer car, still under warranty, or you want the maker’s own parts? The dealer can make sense.
Call ahead. Some dealerships don’t do any work on the body and refer you to their partner in town. In that case, you could end up paying for two tows. Ask where the actual work is being done and take your car straight there.
Option 4: Home
If your insurance company is okay with it, home is a perfect place to store it. If you have either a driveway or a garage, you can leave it there for a couple of days while you find a shop. You won’t be charged anything for storing it.
Think through three things. The car should sit on your own property, not on the street out front. Your adjuster may want to come and look at it. And if it can’t be driven, it’ll need a second tow later, so check whether your policy covers both trips. When it’s time to move it, we do local and long-distance towing as well.
Collision Reporting Centre First
In Edmonton, a crash with $5,000 or more in combined damage has to be reported. According to the Edmonton Police Service, a tow company may take you and your car to a Collision Reporting Centre on the way. One trip, two jobs done. Our guide explains how to report a collision in Edmonton.
Don’t Let Storage Fees Build Up
Storage usually runs by the day. Once you know where the car’s going, get it moving, and ask your insurer how many days of storage they’ll pay for. Read more about who pays for storage after an accident.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the shop is closed when I need a tow?
Ask whether the tow company can keep the car overnight and drop it off when the shop opens. Get the daily storage rate in writing before you agree. Not sure where to tow your car after an accident at 11 p.m.? If you have a driveway, home works fine until morning.
Can I tow my car home after an accident if I live in a condo?
Probably, but ask your building first. Your condo or apartment in Edmonton may have rules about damaged or non-running cars in the parkade or visitor stalls. No private spot? Then a shop or yard is the safer bet.
Can a tow truck take my car to any shop or dealer in Edmonton?
Yes, as long as they’ll take it. If you’re being charged by distance, Alberta’s rules say the tow company has to take the most direct route.
Where to take your car after an accident if you weren’t at fault?
Same four choices. Fault affects who pays, not where the car is allowed to go. Since 2022, Alberta drivers who weren’t at fault claim vehicle damage through their own insurer, so your first call doesn’t change.
Need an Accident Tow in Edmonton?
Maverick Towing & Recovery Ltd is locally owned and answers the phone 24/7. Tell us where the car needs to go (your shop, your dealer, your insurer’s yard or your own driveway), and that’s where it goes. Call 825-888-5533 or book an accident tow.