You can file a complaint about a booting business in New York City.

Booting businesses place wheel locks, also known as boots, on illegally parked motor vehicles to prevent them from being moved until a charge is paid. Businesses must have a Booting Company License to operate in the City.

Booting companies may not charge you more than $25 to remove the wheel lock from a vehicle that has been booted on a private parking lot. If a booted vehicle is towed from a private parking lot, the owner of the vehicle cannot be charged extra for the towing. 

There is no maximum rate for booting on a private street, but those fees must be on file with the City. Rates must be posted on clearly visible signs at all entrances leading to the public street.  

Once you have paid to remove the wheel lock from your vehicle, the company must remove it within 30 minutes.

You can pay booting charges in person by credit card at the location where the vehicle was booted.

What Happens Next

To receive follow up on your request, you must provide your address. The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) will mail you a complaint form, which you must complete and return. If you also provide an email address with your Service Request, you will receive the form by email instead. Be sure to check your spam folder in addition to your inbox.

DCWP will consider your complaint a tip if you do not provide your address.

The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection does not accept reports of rude employee behavior. You should report this type of complaint to the business.

For reports of discrimination, go to the Discrimination page.

The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection can help you with complaints about businesses in New York City. For complaints about businesses elsewhere, contact the local Consumer Affairs office or the State Attorney General's office.

Online

Learn how to file a complaint for a business outside of NYC.

By Phone

  • Agency: Nassau County Consumer Affairs
  • Phone Number: (516) 571-2600
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

  • Agency: Suffolk County Consumer Affairs
  • Phone Number: (631) 853-4600
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

  • Agency: Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection
  • Phone Number: (914) 995-2155
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

  • Agency: New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
  • Phone Number: (973) 504-6200
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

You may be entitled to a refund if your vehicle was booted at certain Home Depot stores in 2021 or 2022 by one of these companies:

  • B & M Electronic Diagnostic Repair Service, Inc. doing business as B & M Towing Inc. (DCWP license number: 0929938-DCA)
  • B & M Electronic Diagnostic Repair Service, Inc. (DCWP license number: 2084752-DCA)
  • NY Booting (DCWP license number: 2098438-DCA)

If you were booted and charged more than $25, you were charged an incorrect amount and may be entitled to a refund.

You can file a Settlement Fund Claim Form to claim a refund. The deadline to submit a claim is July 19, 2023.

Eligibility

You can file a Settlement Fund Claim Form to DCWP only if:

   1) One of the companies listed above booted your car at one of these Home Depot parking lots: 

  • 579 Gateway Drive, Brooklyn, NY 11239​
  • 92-30 168th Street, Jamaica, NY 11433    
  • 73-01 25th Avenue, East Elmhurst, NY 11369    
  • 131-35 Avery Avenue, Flushing, NY 11355    
  • 112-20 Rockaway Boulevard, South Ozone Park, NY 11420    
  • 75-09 Woodhaven Boulevard, Glendale, NY 11385    
  • 132-20 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11434    
  • 50-10 Northern Boulevard, Long Island City, NY 11101    
  • 124-04 31st Avenue, Flushing, NY 11354    
  • 59-15 Maurice Avenue, Maspeth, NY 11378

and

   2) You paid more than $25 to remove a boot from your car.

File a Claim

More information, including the claim form and instructions, is available on the DCWP website.

Learn about filing a claim for a booting fee refund.

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