Reviewed and approved by Samuel Corso, licensed Texas insurance agent.

Published September 5, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026

What does roadside assistance cover in Texas?

The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) consumer pages used in this guide do not use the term roadside assistance. The closest coverage TDI names is towing and labor, so this guide shows what TDI says that coverage pays for and where its limits sit.

The short version. In Texas, TDI's Auto insurance guide does not use the term roadside assistance. The closest coverage it names is towing and labor, which the guide says pays to tow your car if it can't be driven and pays for labor to change a flat tire or jump-start your battery, up to a dollar limit. A roadside assistance product a company sells may include more or less than that.

Here's what we'll cover: what TDI's guide says about towing and labor coverage and choosing it, what the coverage pays for, the dollar limit, deductibles, how it differs from rental reimbursement, what TDI says about four towing claims in 36 months, premiums, how to check your own policy, and how a policy coverage differs from an auto club or a card benefit.

What TDI's guide says about towing and labor coverage

TDI's auto guide (last updated 12/11/2025) does not use the term roadside assistance, and the closest coverage it names on a Texas auto policy is towing and labor. On its list of coverages, the guide says: "There are eight basic auto insurance coverages. You can choose whether to buy the others."

Towing and labor is one of the eight on TDI's list. So the first thing to check is whether it is on your policy at all, because a coverage you did not choose may not be there.

The name matters when you go looking. If you search your declarations page for roadside assistance and find nothing, try towing, towing and labor, or labor. A company may use its own product name for what it sells, so the wording on your policy can differ from TDI's.

What TDI says towing and labor coverage pays for

Towing and labor coverage is described in two sentences in TDI's auto guide: "Towing and labor coverage pays to tow your car if it can’t be driven. It also pays for labor to change a flat tire or jump-start your battery."

The two examples of labor TDI gives are changing a flat tire and a jump-start. Its description does not mention the cost of a new tire or battery, a lockout, lost keys, a locksmith, fuel delivery, or winching, so whether your policy pays for any of those may depend on the wording of the policy you bought. On coverages in general, TDI's guide says coverages vary by policy and adds: "Read your policy or talk to your agent to be sure of your exact coverages."

If lockouts are what you are worried about, you can put that question to your agent in those words before you need the answer.

What TDI says about the dollar limit

Towing and labor coverage on a Texas auto policy pays up to a dollar limit, according to TDI's auto guide. The guide groups it with the other limited coverages: "Liability, personal injury protection, uninsured/underinsured motorist, towing and labor, and rental coverages have dollar limits. This is the most the company will pay, even if the cost is higher. If you don’t have enough coverage, you’ll have to pay the difference yourself."

In plain terms, a bill above the figure on your policy can leave a balance with you. TDI's guide does not say how a towing and labor limit is applied, so that is a question for your policy.

Two questions you can ask your agent before anything goes wrong:

• What is the limit on my towing and labor coverage, and how is it applied?
• Is a higher limit available, and what would it change on the premium?

Is there a deductible?

Towing and labor coverage is not among the coverages TDI names when it explains deductibles on a Texas auto policy. TDI's auto guide says: "You must pay a deductible for collision, comprehensive, and uninsured/underinsured motorist claims."

The guide defines a deductible as the amount of a claim that you must pay yourself. It does not say either way whether a company can apply a deductible to a towing and labor claim, so your declarations page and policy wording are where to check. What the guide does attach to towing and labor is the dollar limit covered in the section above.

Our guide on home insurance deductibles in Texas covers how deductibles work in general.

How TDI treats towing and rental reimbursement

Towing and labor coverage and rental reimbursement coverage are listed as two separate coverages in TDI's auto guide. On the second, the guide says: "Rental reimbursement coverage pays for you to rent a car if yours is stolen or being repaired after an accident. Some policies also pay for taxis or ride-hailing services."

TDI's description ties rental reimbursement to a theft or to repairs after an accident. It does not mention a breakdown. So a tow under towing and labor coverage gets the car moved, and whether anything pays for you to get around afterward depends on what else is on the policy and what happened to the car.

The same guide lists the situations in which your own company pays for a rental car, and each one rests on uninsured/underinsured motorist, rental reimbursement, or comprehensive coverage. Towing and labor is not on that list. The guide adds that the company pays a set amount each day, only for the time it believes is reasonable to repair or replace your car, and only up to your policy's rental coverage dollar limits.

Our guide on uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in Texas covers one of the coverages on that list.

What TDI says about four towing claims in 36 months

Towing and labor claims appear in TDI's auto guide on a list of claims a company can't use as a reason to nonrenew a Texas auto policy, with a condition attached to the towing and labor coverage itself. The entry reads:

"Towing and labor (the company can refuse to renew your towing and labor coverage if you have four of these claims in 36 months)."

Reading TDI's wording closely, the entry has two parts.

The list it sits in is about the policy. TDI's guide says a company can't nonrenew your policy because you had claims for the items on that list, and towing and labor is one of the items. The list has other entries, some with conditions of their own.

The parenthesis is about the coverage. On TDI's wording, if you have four towing and labor claims in 36 months, the company can refuse to renew your towing and labor coverage. The guide's sentence names that coverage and does not say the same of the rest of the policy.

Knowing the figure lets you read your own claims record against it. Whether and when to make a claim is your decision.

Will using it raise your rates?

TDI's tip page Will my premium go up if I file a claim? (last updated 2/26/2026) does not address towing and labor claims by name. It says, about claims in general, that home and auto insurance companies can raise your premium for filing most types of claims, and that auto companies can raise your premium if you've had accidents or gotten traffic tickets.

The same page lists two things that home and auto companies can't charge you more for. One is a claim you filed that the company didn't pay. The other is: "Calling your company or agent to ask questions about your policy or the claims filing process."

Asking your agent whether a lockout is covered, or what your towing limit is, is a question about your policy. That is the kind of call TDI's sentence describes.

One point to keep separate: TDI's page lists claims for damage from natural causes, including weather, under what home companies can't charge more for. The page does not list that item for auto companies. Our guide on does car insurance cover hail damage in Texas covers weather damage to a car.

Claims records can also be seen by other insurers. TDI's premium tip page says most insurance companies get a report from the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE), so they can learn about home or auto claims you've filed even if the claim was with another company. The page says you can get a free copy of your report each year by calling 866-312-8076. Our guide on do car insurance claims follow you in Texas covers how that history works.

How to tell whether you have it

To see whether you have towing and labor coverage on a Texas auto policy, start with the declarations page. TDI's auto guide describes it this way: "The first page of your policy is the declaration page. It has a summary of your policy, including your coverages, dollar limits, and deductibles."

Look down the list of coverages for a towing or labor line and the figure beside it. If you can't find one, you can ask your agent or company whether the coverage is on the policy and whether it is offered.

While the page is open, you can read the rest of it, since TDI's description says it also summarizes your other dollar limits and your deductibles. Our guide on how to compare auto insurance in Texas covers what to line up beyond price, and what car insurance is required in Texas covers the liability requirement.

A policy coverage, an auto club, and a card benefit

Other arrangements for roadside help, such as memberships or card benefits, may exist alongside towing and labor coverage on a Texas auto policy, and their terms are in their own documents. This section is general explanation; the TDI pages used in this guide describe only the policy coverage.

Three questions you can put to each set of documents:

• What does it pay for. The tow only, or labor at the roadside too?
• Up to how much. A dollar figure, a number of miles, or something else per event?
• How many call-outs. And over what period?

Call-out caps, if any, are in the policy or program documents. Separately, TDI's auto guide states a nonrenewal condition for the policy coverage, which is that the company can refuse to renew your towing and labor coverage if you have four of these claims in 36 months.

What to do with this

These are steps you can take with your own Texas auto policy, with the TDI source for the facts inside each one.

• Search for the policy name. Look for towing or labor on your declarations page. TDI's auto guide lists the coverage as towing and labor.
• Find the dollar limit. TDI's guide says towing and labor coverage has a dollar limit, which is the most the company will pay.
• Ask about lockouts, lost keys, fuel and winching. Your policy wording decides whether they are included.
• Check for rental reimbursement separately. TDI's guide lists it as its own coverage.
• Look at any membership or card benefit you hold. Its terms may overlap with the policy coverage.

Key facts

• TDI's Auto insurance guide says there are eight basic auto insurance coverages, lists towing and labor among them, and says you can choose whether to buy the others.
• Towing and labor coverage pays to tow your car if it can't be driven, and pays for labor to change a flat tire or jump-start your battery, according to TDI's auto guide, which also says coverages vary by policy.
• The same TDI auto guide says towing and labor coverage has a dollar limit, which is the most the company will pay even if the cost is higher.
• On deductibles, TDI's auto guide names collision, comprehensive, and uninsured/underinsured motorist claims as the ones you must pay a deductible for. Towing and labor is not named there.
• Rental reimbursement is listed in TDI's auto guide as a separate coverage that pays for you to rent a car if yours is stolen or being repaired after an accident.
• On nonrenewal, TDI's auto guide includes towing and labor on its list of claims a company can't use to nonrenew your policy, and adds that the company can refuse to renew your towing and labor coverage if you have four of these claims in 36 months.
• TDI's Will my premium go up if I file a claim? says home and auto companies can raise your premium for filing most types of claims, and can't charge you more for claims the company didn't pay or for calling to ask questions about your policy or the claims filing process.
• The first page of your policy is the declaration page, with a summary of your coverages, dollar limits, and deductibles, per TDI's auto guide.

Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Auto insurance guide and Will my premium go up if I file a claim?. This page is general information, not legal advice; for a question about your own situation, check your policy or contact the Texas Department of Insurance.

Take the next step

Three things on this topic are specific to you: whether towing and labor is on your policy, what its dollar limit is, and how many towing and labor claims you have made in the last 36 months. The first two are on your declarations page. Our guides on how to get car insurance in Texas and car insurance costs in Texas cover what to line up if you are reviewing the whole policy.

Get a second opinion on your policy — free. Credify is a licensed insurance agency in Texas that helps you compare car insurance from roughly 20 licensed Texas carriers, so you can see whether your towing and labor coverage fits your needs. It takes a few minutes, and there's no obligation. 📞 Talk to Credify 24/7.

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