StateCover Guide
Glossary

Roadside assistance (towing and labor)

By Editorial team, last reviewed

Quick answer

Roadside assistance, often listed on a policy as towing and labor coverage, is an optional add-on that pays for help when your car cannot be driven: a tow, a jump-start, a tire change and similar services where the car broke down.

How it works

  • What it pays for. The Texas Department of Insurance says towing and labor coverage pays to tow your car if it can't be driven, and for labor to change a flat tire or jump-start your battery.
  • How much. California describes towing coverage as an addition to the policy that pays a specified amount for towing and related labor. Costs above that amount are yours.
  • It counts as a claim. Each roadside call is a claim on your policy. In Texas, an insurer may refuse to renew your towing and labor coverage after several such claims within a set period, though it cannot nonrenew the whole policy for them.

Example: your coverage pays up to $100 per tow and the tow costs $160. The policy pays $100 and you pay the other $60.

If you already get roadside help from another source, such as an auto club membership, compare what each one covers before paying for the same service twice.

Sources

Last reviewed by the StateCover Guide editorial team. See our editorial policy. Spotted an error? Tell us.