Prince William County Modernizes Private Towing Process with Launch of Autura Platform

Prince William County has launched a new digital towing management platform to streamline how private tows are reported and accessed. The system, called Autura, marks a significant operational improvement led by the Department of Public Safety Communications, or DPSC, to modernize the county’s private towing process and enhance service for residents. 

Each month, DPSC processes more than 2,000 private tows. Until now, residents and tow companies needed to call the county’s Public Safety Communications Center to report or confirm a tow. With the launch of Autura, this process moves online, giving residents direct access to the information they need while allowing DPSC staff to focus more fully on emergency calls. 

“This is a major step forward in making the towing process faster and more user-friendly for our community,” said Michele Surdam, Director of Public Safety Communications. “By using the Autura system, residents will be able to quickly locate their towed vehicles without calling the communications center, saving time and getting answers more efficiently.” 

With this improvement, authorized towing companies will now enter vehicle information directly into the Autura portal. Once submitted, the system instantly alerts DPSC staff, who verify the details and upload them into national databases used by law enforcement, such as the National Crime Information Center and Virginia Criminal Information Network. This automation helps ensure accuracy while streamlining communication for all parties involved. 

For residents, the biggest benefit is access to real-time information. Instead of calling the county to ask whether a vehicle was towed, and by whom, they can now search for their vehicle online. By visiting search.autoreturn.com/find-vehicle, users can enter a license plate, VIN, or other identifying information to immediately see tow company details, the vehicle’s location and next steps for recovery. This puts control directly in residents’ hands, making the process more convenient and transparent. 

To ensure a smooth transition, DPSC has identified 14 tow companies that regularly perform private tows in the county and has already provided them with detailed instructions and training materials. The department is also conducting outreach to residential communities, mailing notices to apartment complexes, townhome associations and HOAs to help educate residents about the new system. 

“This is a great example of how Prince William County is using technology to deliver better public service,” said County Executive Chris Shorter. “By reducing unnecessary call volume and putting the right tools directly in residents’ hands, we’re making government work smarter, faster and more responsively.” 

Residents who are unable to locate their vehicle online should continue to call the DPSC at 703-792-6500 for assistance.