If someone is blocking your driveway, look for the driver first, and if you can’t find them or they refuse to move, call 311 or your local police non-emergency line so an officer or parking enforcement can ticket and tow the vehicle. Don’t try to push, pull, or move the car yourself. The rest is a matter of giving the right agency the right information and documenting what you see.
Look for the Driver First
Before you call anyone, take a minute to check whether the driver is nearby. A delivery driver double-parked for two minutes is a very different situation from an abandoned car wedged across your driveway entrance. Check neighboring homes, nearby businesses, or any vehicle with someone sitting in it. A quick, polite ask usually solves the problem faster than any government agency can. If the driver is nowhere to be found, or refuses to move, go to the next step.
Call 311 or the Non-Emergency Police Line
A blocked driveway is a parking violation, not a life-threatening emergency, so skip 911. Most cities route parking complaints through 311, which connects you to the right enforcement agency. In cities without a 311 system, call your local police department’s non-emergency number. The one exception: if you’re blocked in and facing a genuine medical emergency where minutes matter, 911 is appropriate, because the problem is the danger to someone’s health, not the parked car.
Depending on where you live, the responding agency might be the police, a dedicated parking enforcement division, or a transportation authority. The label doesn’t matter much. What matters is that an official shows up, confirms the violation, and either issues a citation or authorizes a tow. In many jurisdictions, both happen.
What to Have Ready When You Call
Gather details before you dial so the dispatcher can move quickly. You’ll want the vehicle’s make, model, color, and license plate number. Give your exact address and describe how the vehicle is blocking your driveway. Say whether you’re blocked in or blocked out; being trapped on your own property with no way to leave sometimes gets a faster response. Note how long the vehicle has been there if you know.
Document the Obstruction
Take time-stamped photos or a short video from several angles before anyone arrives. Capture the license plate clearly, show how the vehicle obstructs your driveway access, and include enough surrounding context that a viewer can tell the car is genuinely blocking you rather than parked nearby. This evidence protects you if the driver later disputes the tow or claims they weren’t actually blocking anything. If you have a security camera that covers your driveway, save that footage too.
Don’t Move the Vehicle Yourself
This is where frustration leads people into real trouble. Pushing, pulling, or trying to tow someone else’s car on your own is a bad idea no matter how justified you feel. If you scratch the paint, crack a bumper, or damage the transmission, you’re financially liable for those repairs. The fact that the car was illegally parked on your property doesn’t give you a free pass to damage it.
Even if you move the car without a scratch, you could face accusations of tampering or unauthorized use of a vehicle. The legal exposure isn’t worth it when a phone call accomplishes the same goal. Let enforcement officials or a licensed tow operator handle the physical removal.
Can You Call a Tow Company Directly?
It depends on where you live. Some jurisdictions allow property owners to call a licensed towing company directly to remove a vehicle blocking their private driveway. Others require police authorization before any tow can happen. In practice, many tow companies won’t touch a vehicle on their own because of the liability, and will ask whether the car has been ticketed first.
Starting with law enforcement is almost always the safer play. An official citation creates a paper trail that protects both you and the tow operator. If your city does allow direct towing from private property, there are usually signage and notification requirements you need to have met in advance. Without proper signage posted at your driveway, a direct tow may not hold up if the vehicle owner challenges it later.
Who Pays for the Tow
Once the car is towed, the costs fall on the vehicle’s owner. You owe nothing. The owner faces the tow itself, the parking citation, and daily storage fees at the impound lot. Towing base fees for a standard passenger vehicle generally start around $75 to $150 for a local hookup, with the total often higher depending on mileage and time of day. After-hours and weekend tows frequently carry surcharges. Daily impound storage typically runs $25 to $75 per day and starts accumulating immediately.
Municipal fines for blocking a driveway also vary. Some cities charge as little as $25, others impose fines of $100 or more, with late penalties on top if the ticket goes unpaid. Between the citation, the tow, and a few days of storage, the total can easily reach several hundred dollars.
If It Keeps Happening
If the same vehicle keeps blocking your driveway, reactive enforcement gets exhausting. A few steps can shift the pattern.
Talk to the Neighbor
When the offender is a neighbor, a calm conversation is the most effective first step and often the last one you’ll need. Many people don’t realize they’re blocking access, especially if their car only partially overlaps the driveway apron. Approach them when you’re not actively frustrated, explain the problem, and give them a chance to fix it. Most driveway disputes end here.
Post Signage
For unknown or repeat offenders, visible signage works as both deterrent and legal foundation. Signs reading “No Parking,” “Private Driveway,” or “Tow-Away Zone” put drivers on notice. In jurisdictions that let property owners authorize tows directly, properly posted signage is often a legal prerequisite. Requirements vary by city and state but commonly include minimum sign dimensions, specific wording, reflective or weather-resistant materials, a posted towing company phone number, and placement at a visible height near each driveway entrance. Check your local municipal code before buying signs so they actually carry legal weight.
Install a Camera
A visible security camera pointed at your driveway does double duty. It deters casual violators who notice it, and it provides timestamped evidence when someone blocks you anyway. Footage of repeated violations by the same vehicle strengthens any enforcement complaint or legal action you pursue later.
Small Claims Court
If the same person keeps blocking you despite citations and conversations, small claims court is a realistic option. Repeatedly blocking someone’s driveway can constitute a private nuisance, a legal term for conduct that unreasonably interferes with your ability to use your property. You can sue for damages tied to the obstruction, such as missed work, alternative transportation, or repeated towing coordination. Bring your photos, camera footage, copies of police reports, and any written communication with the offender. Patterns, documented, make the case straightforward.
Before court, a formal demand letter from an attorney sent to the repeat offender puts them on notice that continued blocking could lead to legal action. That letter alone often resolves the problem, because it signals you’re serious.