Tow and Barnacle Policy

Vehicles parked on campus may be towed and impounded or a Barnacle placed on the windshield at the owner’s expense if: 

  1. The vehicle has $200 or more in parking violations, paid or unpaid, within the parking year or 

  1. The vehicle must be moved immediately because it is blocking access to, prevents use of or inhibits operation of a facility, structure or activity; or it is causing damage, or represents a safety hazard or 

  1. The vehicle is abandoned or 

  1. The vehicle or permit has an extended history of parking violations and ticketing has failed to alter its use regardless of tickets. Towing repeat violators will be at the discretion of Parking and Transportation. Repeat offenders may also have their parking permit cancelled.  

Tow List Notification

After the accumulation of $100 of violations on one vehicle, a warning notification email will be sent to the registered vehicle owner or permit-holder.  After the accumulation of $200 of violations on one vehicle, a tow/barnacle list eligible email will be sent to the registered vehicle owner or permit-holder. Vehicle may be towed from any UI parking location once a tow letter has been issued. 

Removal from Tow List  

Vehicles will be removed from the tow/barnacle list when parking citation balance is paid off in full or reduced below the $200 threshold and the owner complies with policy. If the owner fails to comply with parking policy by incurring repeat violations, their vehicle will remain on the tow/barnacle list at the discretion of the Parking and Transportation department. 

Liability 

The University assumes no responsibility for damage to a towed or barnacled vehicle. 

Tow Fee 

Any vehicle that's towed or barnacled due to being on the tow list will be issued a Tow/Barnacle Fee, in addition to any parking violations that may be issued. 

Show-Up Fee 

If the operator of the vehicle shows up after a tow truck has been summoned but before the tow is completed, any applicable fees must be paid to the towing company. 

Reclaiming Your Vehicle

Towed and impounded vehicle: 

Before getting vehicle back after a tow, vehicle owners/operators must first sign a release at the University of Iowa Police Department (UIPD).  To access the UUIPD offices, enter on the Capitol Street side of the building. UIPD is located at: 

 

University of Iowa Police Department 

808 University Capitol Centre 
200 S. Capitol Street 
Iowa City, IA 52242 

 

Towed vehicles are not stored at UIPD, but at an impound lot managed by the towing vendor shown below.  The university’s current towing vendor is:  

Big Ten University Towing 

3309 Highway 1 SW 

Iowa City, IA 52240 

(319) 354-5936 

Big 10 Website:  http://www.big10towing.com

Office Hours 7:00 am – 7:00 pm 

 

All vendor towing fees must be paid to the towing company before the vehicle is released from impound.    

Barnacled:

  1. Barnacle receptacle will be located in  university parking ramp for the return of the equipment  

  1. Full payment of violations and Barnacle impoundment fee will be required for release of the vehicle.  

  1. Payment will be made directly on the payandrelease.com website after scanning the QR code on the device.   

  1. Once the fine and refundable deposit for the equipment is paid, the motorist will receive a unique release code which allows them to remove the device and then return to the nearest receptable location .  

For Students: 

Students who have received citations and register their vehicles are eligible to have the fines reduced to student rates on citations having been issued within the two days prior to registering their vehicle.  

Towing and Barnacle Contact Information

  • Parking Office: (319) 335-1475 

  • Department of Public Safety: (319) 335-5022 

  • Safety and Security (for hospital ramps): (319) 356-2658

  • Big Ten University Towing: (319) 354-5936