Emergency Towing in Lancaster, CA

What emergency towing covers

An emergency tow is for a vehicle that can’t be driven and is stuck somewhere it shouldn’t stay: a freeway shoulder, a traffic lane, an intersection or a dark road outside town. Typical calls for an emergency tow truck in Lancaster:

• A breakdown on CA-14 (the Antelope Valley Freeway, “the 14”).
• A stall on a busy street such as Avenue J, Sierra Highway or 10th Street West.
• An overheated engine. Lancaster’s Fox Field averages about 36 days a year at or above 100°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals).
• A blowout with no usable spare, or a wheel that won’t turn.
• A crash that leaves the car undrivable. See accident recovery.

If the car only needs a jump, fuel or a tire change, roadside assistance may get you moving where you sit. For planned moves, see towing in Lancaster.

The first five minutes

On CA-14 or another freeway

1. Signal and pull onto the right shoulder, as far from traffic as you can. If the car still rolls, aim for the next exit.
2. Turn on your hazard lights.
3. Stay in the car with your seat belt on. The California Driver Handbook says to stay inside unless there is no shoulder or safe area. If you must get out, use the right-side doors.
4. Note your direction (northbound toward Lancaster and Mojave, or southbound toward Palmdale and Los Angeles) and the last exit sign you passed.
5. Call for a tow.

On a Lancaster street

1. Coast to the curb, a turn pocket or a parking lot. Don’t sit in an intersection if the car can roll out of it.
2. Turn on your hazards.
3. If it is safe, wait on the sidewalk or inside a business, away from the car and the traffic lanes.
4. Read the nearest cross streets, such as Avenue J and 10th Street West, and call.

911, CHP or the Sheriff?

Situation	Who to call
Injury, fire, or a car stuck in a traffic lane	911
Stall or minor crash on CA-14, including inside Lancaster city limits	CHP Antelope Valley Area, (661) 743-6060
SR-138 (Avenue D, Pearblossom Highway) and other unincorporated roads	CHP Antelope Valley Area
Property-damage crash on a Lancaster city street	LASD Lancaster Station, (661) 948-8466
Rosamond and the Kern County side	CHP Mojave Area, (661) 823-5500

CHP has primary jurisdiction for traffic enforcement and crash investigation on freeways, even inside city limits (Vehicle Code 2400). Its Antelope Valley office covers about 30 miles of SR-14, from Acton to the Kern County line. Lancaster’s city streets are policed by the LA County Sheriff under contract with the city.

The Move Over law covers you now, but don’t count on it

Since January 1, 2026, California’s Move Over law (Vehicle Code 21809) protects more than police cars and tow trucks. Drivers approaching any stopped vehicle showing hazard lights, flares, cones or reflective triangles must move to a lane that isn’t next to it when that is practical and safe, or slow down if it isn’t.

Turn your hazards on right away, but don’t treat them as protection: on CA-14, stay buckled in until the tow operator says it is safe to get out.

Waiting in heat, cold and dark

• Summer. July and August highs at Fox Field average about 98°F. Keep water in the car. A closed car heats up fast with the engine off, so on a city street wait in shade away from traffic, and never leave children or pets inside.
• Winter nights. Fox Field averages about 68 nights a year at or below freezing, most of them from November through February. Keep a jacket in the car.
• After dark. Outside the city grid, roads like Avenue D (SR-138) and Pearblossom Highway cross open desert, and landmarks can be hard to see. Check your phone’s map for your exact position before you call.

More shoulder-safety steps are in what to do when your car breaks down on Highway 14.

What to have ready when you call

• Where you are: freeway direction and last exit, the nearest avenue and street, or GPS coordinates.
• Where the car sits: shoulder, traffic lane, parking lot or dirt.
• Year, make and model. AWD, 4WD and electric cars usually need a flatbed.
• What happened, and whether the car rolls, steers and shifts into neutral.
• Where it should go, and how many people need a ride.
• Whether CHP or the Sheriff is already there.

The full dispatcher checklist covers the rest.

What affects the cost

The towing provider sets the price. The total depends on the hook-up fee, the miles, the time of day (nights, weekends and holidays can cost more), extra work such as winching or wheel dollies, and the size of the vehicle.

When you summon a tow to your disabled vehicle and you are there, California law (Vehicle Code 22513) requires a written itemized estimate for you to sign before hook-up, and nothing beyond it may be charged without your consent. Motor-club calls and law-enforcement contract tows are exempt. See how much a tow costs in Lancaster.

A tow truck you didn’t call

It has no right to the job. Under Vehicle Code 22513, an operator may not stop to solicit at a disabled vehicle unless you or law enforcement asked for it. Check the company name on the truck before you hand over your keys.