As the State of Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) continues to improve its services to customers, the DMV has implemented a new Towing Inquiry System that is accessed using the Internet.  This is a secure system that was developed to assist towing entities with notification requirements in connection with nonconsensual tows.  It will replace the system that towing entities currently use to obtain owner and lienholder information.  The towing entity must be a Connecticut licensed dealer or repairer, and must have at least one wrecker registration in its name, in accordance with section 14-66 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

With this system, towing entities will have the ability to make inquiries 24/7 through an internet portal and receive any available information immediately.  Any licensed dealer or repairer that has one or more wrecker plates may apply for access to the Towing Inquiry System to obtain last known owner information from the Department of Motor Vehicles. 

Dealer Towing Inquiry System Access Request - Form #1 (PDF)

Dealer Towing Inquiry System Authorized User Agreement - Form #2 (PDF)

Towing Inquiry System Authorized User Agreement - Form #3 (PDF)

Please complete all required forms and email forms to DMV.TowingPortal@ct.gov. Once your application has been submitted and processed you will receive an email, at the email address submitted on your request form, with your login and password to access the Towing Inquiry System.

The Towing Inquiry System is a secure information system that was developed to assist towing entities with notification requirements (owner and lienholder) for nonconsensual tows. The towing entity must be a Connecticut licensed dealer or repairer and have at least one wrecker registration in its name. (See section 14-66 of the Connecticut General Statutes). 

A nonconsensual tow is the towing or transporting of a motor vehicle for which arrangements are made by order of a law enforcement officer or traffic authority or without mutual agreement between the vehicle owner and the towing entity.  Some examples are private property trespass tows, abandoned vehicle tows, tows for illegal parking and tows from a highway upon request of the police or a traffic authority.  (See sections 14-145, 14-150, 14-307).

Who can access this information?

Only a Connecticut licensed dealer or repairer that engages in nonconsensual tows (has at least one wrecker plate) will be able to register to use this system.  DMV will authorize up to two (2) authorized users per licensed business. A licensed business will be responsible for reporting to DMV when an authorized user of the system is no longer employed by that business.

In addition to being a licensed dealer or repairer with one or more wrecker registrations, you must have an approved  Dealer Towing Inquiry System Access Request (Form #1) and Dealer Towing Inquiry System Authorized User Agreements (Dealer; Form #2 and Authorized User; Form #3) on file with the CT DMV. Once approved, you will receive an e-mail from Connecticut Interactive LLC (allow 2 days), who will provide you with access to the Towing Inquiry System. Completed Dealer Towing Inquiry System Access Request and Authorized User Agreements must be e-mailed to DMV.TowingPortal@ct.gov.

All forms must be fully completed and signed or your request will not be accepted. Each authorized user of the Towing Inquiry System must have their OWN INDIVIDUAL email address to be assigned a user name for the Towing Inquiry System.

The licensed dealer or repairer and each designated user will be required to sign an Authorized User Agreement.  The Dealer will be required to complete the Dealer Towing Inquiry System Access Request (Form #1).

If you have submitted the Dealer Towing Inquiry System Access Request and the Authorized User Agreement to DMV.TowingPortal@ct.gov  and have not received a response with a username to access the Towing Inquiry System within a week there may be a problem with your application.  Please review your application and email DMV.TowingPortal@ct.gov.

When you access the Towing Inquiry System, you are receiving personal information from a motor vehicle record, which is protected from disclosure under state and federal law.  You are authorized to receive it to send the notices required by statute, but the system and the information cannot be accessed or used for any other purpose.  Through the Authorized User Agreement, the system user agrees to comply with the laws regarding use of the system and the information, and acknowledges the criminal and civil penalties for misuse of the system and/or the information.

The Licensed Dealer Towing Inquiry System is accessible from DMV’s web site as of January 14, 2019. To log into the Dealer Towing Inquiry System please click on the following link:  Towing Inquiry System Login.  You may save this link to the devise you use to log into the system for easier access.

The Towing Inquiry System provides the name and mailing address of the last known owner(s) and lienholder(s) on record at the Department of Motor Vehicles.  If a vehicle is not titled in Connecticut, no information will be available.

You must enter the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the vehicle to get the DMV record information.

The registration information is the current record information on file at DMV.

CTI_passwordhelp@egov.com 

Please verify the accuracy of the VIN and reenter it.  If you continue to receive “no record found,” it is possible that the vehicle is not titled in Connecticut. 

All authorized user account passwords are valid for 90 days, at which point, an authorized user will be required to create a new password.  This is done for security reasons.  An authorized user will begin receiving password expiration notifications 14 days prior to the expiration date.

A request to disable an authorized user account must be sent by email to DMV.TowingPortal@ct.gov  and include the Dealer Towing Inquiry System Access Request form. The request must include the user’s name, name of the Connecticut licensed dealer/repairer with whom the user is associated, email and dealer/repairer license number.  A licensed business should immediately request that the authorized user account be disabled when the user is no longer employed or authorized to act on behalf of the licensed business.  DMV may disable the business account if there is a continual failure to report when authorized users leave that business. The DMV will immediately disable any account when there is evidence of misuse by the account user.   

With some exceptions, it is illegal to engage in towing and transporting motor vehicles without a wrecker registration. You must have an active wrecker plate and a dealer/repairer license with DMV to be authorized to use the Towing Inquiry System.  If your dealer/repairer license and/ or your wrecker registration expires and is not renewed, your access will be disabled.

Out-of-state towing businesses can get Connecticut registration and lienholder information by completing DMV’s Copy Records Request form found on DMV’s web site at https://www.ct.gov/dmv/lib/dmv/20/29/j23.pdf