Who runs the patrols
The North Central Texas Council of Governments describes a regional Mobility Assistance Patrol Program that provides free assistance to stalled and stranded motorists on regional highways, toll roads and managed lanes. It covers Dallas and Tarrant counties and parts of Collin, Denton, Ellis, Parker, Johnson and Rockwall counties.
The patrols are operated by the Dallas County Sheriff's Office, the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office and the North Texas Tollway Authority, with private partners serving the LBJ TEXpress and NTE TEXpress corridors. The council also says it's studying patrol routes and hours, so details can change.
What they do
Tarrant County's Sheriff's Office says its Courtesy Patrol roams the major highways in the county and gives minor help: changing a flat tire, limited fuel, or a jump start. It also clears obstructions from the road and directs traffic at crash scenes. Its staff aren't deputies and have no law enforcement authority. Dallas County describes its Courtesy Patrol as helping stranded motorists with disabled vehicles and clearing roadway incidents.
NTTA says its roadside crews change flat tires, jump-start dead batteries and bring a little gas, free, on its toll roads. None of the published descriptions promise towing, and the repairs they mention are minor.
How to reach them
Always call 911 first for an emergency, an injury, or a car stopped in a lane. For non-emergency help:
- NTTA toll roads: dial #999 on your phone, or use Free Roadside Help in the TollMate app. NTTA says the help is available 24 hours a day on its roads.
- LBJ and North Tarrant Express TEXpress lanes: dial #789.
- Dallas County Courtesy Patrol: call 214-320-4444, or dial 511.
- Tarrant County Courtesy Patrol: the Sheriff's Office lists a non-emergency line on its Courtesy Patrol page. Have your location, a mile marker and a description of the vehicle ready.
Where the free help stops
These patrols are described as serving highways, toll roads and managed lanes. A dead battery in an apartment lot, a flat in a parking garage and a locked door anywhere are outside what they describe. The council's page and Tarrant County's page don't list patrol hours or a response time for the county patrols, so don't count on one being close by.
Programs, routes and phone numbers change. Confirm the one for your road with the agency before you rely on it.
Where TRA fits
TRA is a paid service for the times a free patrol isn't an option: you're off the highway, no patrol is nearby, or you'd rather book a driver. We dispatch across Dallas–Fort Worth around the clock. A jump start is $49–$75 and a flat tire change using your spare is from $75, each plus a $19 dispatch fee charged once per job. We don't tow.
Common questions
The regional council describes its patrol program as free assistance to stalled and stranded motorists, and NTTA describes its roadside help as free. Check the agency's page for the road you're on.
The published descriptions focus on minor help: flat tires, jump starts, limited fuel and clearing the roadway. They don't promise towing. For a car that can't be driven, you'll need a tow company.
Read the nearest exit sign or mile marker, and use a map app on your phone. If you're in danger, call 911 and tell them what you can see.