Alachua County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Section 51.395 sets binding maximum rates for 'nonconsensual towing,' defined as towing or immobilizing a vehicle without the owner's or operator's consent, trespass tows, accident-scene tows, and tows where the operator is unavailable, when the tow originates in unincorporated Alachua County. For the smallest vehicle class (Class A, up to 10,000 pounds gross weight), the caps are a $150.00 rotation-tow base rate or $160.00 private-property/trespass base rate, $6.00 per mile after hook-up, a $125.00 hourly rate for unusual-circumstance recoveries, and storage fees of $40.00 per day inside or $30.00 outside.

Larger classes (B, C, D) and a Rotator/50-Ton class carry higher base, hourly, and storage caps, up to a $1,237.86 rotator base and hourly rate. Storage fees may only be charged after an initial six-hour grace period, and an administrative fee of $75.00 may be added after 48 hours of storage if the county complies with F.S. § 713.78's lien-notice requirements. Section 51.395 also caps ancillary charges, a $100.00 access/gate fee for after-hours vehicle access, a $75.00 per-window tarp fee, and extra-labor rates of $125.00 an hour on-scene or $50.00 in the yard.

Subsection (g) makes it 'unlawful and a violation of this ordinance for any operator, individual, company, or entity to impose rates, fees or charges in excess of the maximum allowable rates,' enforceable by both law enforcement and code enforcement officers. The caps do not apply inside a municipality that has adopted its own towing-rate ordinance.