AAA, the famous acronym of ‘American Automobile Association’ is a club which offers all sorts of automobile related services and support in the United States. Its services include Insurance, Notary, Highway assistance, roadside assistance etc. The topic which we are going to talk about in this post is a subset of the roadside assistance, ‘towing’. Perhaps the most sought after AAA service is ‘towing’, as it helps a lot after a vehicle breaks down.
But what is the answer to the title, well we know for now that AAA does tow your vehicle from your location in case of any such requirement. To add to this, AAA tows your vehicle to the nearest gas station, mechanic garage (most probably a AAA partner), or at your home if you ask to do so (but we don’t recommend it. Get the car to garage to avoid any further hassles).
So to answer the question
Do I have to be with my car for AAA to tow it
You need to be with your car in order for AAA to tow it, as they need to verify your AAA membership, Identity and the ownership of the car before towing it
So let’s learn, that how much does it really cost to avail towing service from AAA?
Before this, you should confirm the fact that you NEED TO BE AAA MEMBER to avail towing services by AAA. It is quite an obvious thing, but it’s good to get confirmed.
How to Call AAA without membership
Now that the ‘membership factor’ is confirmed, there is an ‘appealing’ thing to know, that as per the level of your membership, AAA offers free towing till a certain distance.
For eg- AAA Classic Membership gives access to free towing till 5 miles. AAA Plus and Plus RV could fetch you a free towing experience till a distance of 100 miles. And the real premium comes with AAA Premier, which could give you a free experience till either a single tow of 200 miles, or three tows of 100 miles each.
So what are the charges after the quota of free towing is exhausted?
It depends on your location, as the towing charges are not uniform and keep changing from state to state.
One of the most generous costing is provided by Arizona, which charges $5 to $6 per mile. Whereas states like Alaska, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming charge the same cost, which is $5 to $10 per mile. Some states like California are not so generous with their charges, as California charges about $10 to $15 a mile.
| State | Price of Towing (After free Quota expires) |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 5-6$/mile |
| Alaska | 5-10$/mile |
| Montana | 5-10$/mile |
| Utah | 5-10$/mile |
| Wyoming | 5-10$/mile |
| Nevada | 5-10$/mile |
| California | 10-15$/mile |
Just like this, prices vary across states, and you could call 8002224357 to learn about the exact charges of the state you are in.
Can someone else with my membership card approve towing of my car
There are a lot of mixed answers about this on the internet, some say yes, some say no, some say I don’t know.
Your membership card is a proof of your identity and membership to AAA. So it is obvious that they will look out for the person whose card is being used to avail AAA services.
Lost your Membership card? Get it here
They usually don’t allow any random person, to use someone else’s card.
Although, if you are a person whose family member has AAA membership, then you could get yourself enrolled in the card as ‘family’, this would allow you to use the membership card without the card-holder actually being present.
Although, some users on online forums have also said that, they were allowed without even checking the card, and maybe if you are stuck, it can be worth a shot atleast
Although we wish that you never find the need of getting your car towed.
What are the alternatives of me being present for towing my car
This question is actually a derivative of the last question, and the answer to it is more or less the same. But to avoid any confusions, let’s have a quick read through for this point.
There is not much of an alternative for you being present, but sometimes when you contact them, they agree to tow if the person who is getting your car towed has your membership card and some other identification documents.
Still, if there is a family member who might get to a point of getting your car towed, then we suggest adding all of your family members in your membership details.
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Can I use AAA to tow a car I just bought?
As per the data available, there doesn’t seem to be an affirmation to this question.
In its policies, AAA clearly states that it doesn’t tow unregistered vehicles, because they don’t have an identification number plate.
If you try tipping the tow-truck driver, then the driver might help you even if it means to go ‘unofficially’. AAA also says that it tows only for roadside assistance, which mainly means in emergency cases only. And as getting your car from the showroom to your house is not an emergency, we doubt that they would help you with this query of yours.
But still, it’s never too bad to confirm from AAA itself by giving them a call for same. Who knows, that the day might be your lucky day, and you get a generous affirmation from them to get your ‘new car’ towed.
Can I use AAA to tow a friend’s car?
AAA says that its services are dedicated for its members only, but here comes a catch, that if you are in the car of someone else which broke down or needs help. Then without a moment of hesitation, you may contact the nearest AAA centre to get a help on your behalf.
The reason for this is AAA does not associate its membership with the car but actually they associate it with the Owner and it does not matter which car they use as long as the Person is present there, they can use AAA membership for anyone
So in such a case where you find yourself in ‘not your’ car, and the car breaks down, then don’t shy in using your AAA membership as a golden card of help for your friend
The same thing applies for the case if you are facing a similar breakdown issue in a rental car you were using. When the property is not yours, and you get stuck in the middle of nowhere, it becomes a reason to have more worry, as someone’s property is now your liability.
After contacting AAA, you should first share all the details for identifying your membership, and later you could share that the vehicle you are stuck in is not yours, but is a rental or belongs to your friend.
AAA’s team would give you the due information you need at the time, along with the help you asked for.
Was it relieving to learn? Maybe Yes. Tell us in the comments
Will AAA tow an Unregistered Vehicle?
Nope. As there is no veracity about the owner of the vehicle, AAA won’t be indulging in towing unregistered vehicles, as it could get AAA into a legal problem as well.
Also, unregistered vehicles cannot be towed without the authorisation of any public authority, like police or court.
So if you are riding on an unregistered vehicle, then we highly recommend you to register your automobile, as non-registration could drag you into legal proceedings or possible confiscation of the vehicle.
So apart from just answering to the question above as ‘No’, we also request you to not use or indulge into using unregistered or unauthorised vehicles to avoid problems from the authorities.
Because not just AAA, but almost no one might tow an unregistered automobile without formal interference of the authorities.
So remember it, get a licence, get a car, get a registration and AAA membership to fetch the help.
Will AAA tow my car if I am drunk?
Whereas AAA has been helpful for many drunkards at some occasions in past years, but this scheme doesn’t have constant-ness.
On a few occasions, reportedly in 2017, AAA was offering such a service to American drunkards during the Christmas time, but in 2021 a similar news circulated for New Years eve, but it came out to be fake.
Hence, it’s always good to be informed by the best who could answer this to you, and in this case, that is the team of AAA itself. Don’t hesitate in contacting AAA.
So don’t try to get stoned with the hopes that AAA would get you home anyway. Drink responsibly, and don’t drive after drinking too much.
Can AAA tow a car without insurance?
It is less probable that some towing company or service provider tows your vehicle without insurance. In case of AAA, you could have the insurance from them itself to avoid any possible hassles.
If not, then you should prefer having a personal or telephonic conversation with your local AAA office to get a precise input over this question.
Contact AAA
A very important thing to know is, that how exactly could you contact them. Given the fact that you are already a member and need roadside assistance, give a call on 8002224357. From there, it’s just you and AAA.
Well, reading such a big post in case of an emergency is not viable, so share it with your friends for whom it could be helpful to be prepared for any roadside vehicular emergency situation.
And do drive safely!
