Albuquerque, NM Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Application fee
- $3,000 ($100 nonrefundable)
- Minimum liability insurance
- $1M bodily injury / $500K property
- Rotation sectors
- 3 citywide (Class A/B)
- City may tow after
- 30-minute wait for preferred wrecker
- Violation penalty
- Petty misdemeanor, up to $500 fine
Summary
Albuquerque routes police-ordered, non-consensual tows through a wrecker rotation list divided by city sector. To qualify, a towing company needs a PRC Warrant, insurance filings, and a $3,000 application fee under the City of Albuquerque Wrecker Ordinance.
In the event an Albuquerque Police Officer or a Public Safety Aide or other city employee has cause to remove any vehicle or motor vehicle from any location within the city, and the owner or person responsible for the vehicle cannot be found, is incapacitated, or has no preference for a particular wrecker, the police radio dispatcher shall so notify the wrecker on call for the sector in which such vehicle or motor vehicle is located. The city may initiate a tow if the wrecker preferred by the owner or responsible person is unable to be at the scene within 30 minutes.
(G) Wreckers on the Class A and B rotation lists shall be on call for a period of one week; wreckers on the Class C and D rotation list shall be on call for a period of one month.
(H) (1) Notwithstanding the above, the Mayor or the Mayor's designee may enter into an agreement with a wrecker whose storage yard is located outside of the City limits if such wrecker can demonstrate that:
(a) The wrecker meets all of the requirements of this article and all rules and regulations adopted by the city regarding wreckers;
(b) The wrecker's storage yard is located no further than five miles outside the City limits driving on paved roads and within the County of Bernalillo; and
(c) The wrecker has made arrangements that are satisfactory to the city to allow access and entry by city personnel or their agents, including law
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-95: Current through Ordinance 2026-010, passed 4-6-2026).
Full Breakdown
When an officer or city employee orders a vehicle towed and the owner can't be reached or has no preference, the police dispatcher calls the wrecker on duty for that sector under the City of Albuquerque Wrecker Ordinance (ROA Ch. 7, Art. 7). To get on a rotation list, a company must hold a Public Regulation Commission Warrant, a Tax Clearance Certificate, a Certificate of Good Standing, PRC vehicle inspection records, and city-filed insurance covering at least $1,000,000 bodily-injury and $500,000 property-damage liability. Applications run July 1 through June 30 and cost a $3,000 fee, of which $100 is nonrefundable.
Violations & Fines
Failing to maintain required equipment, insurance, storage-yard capacity, or business hours is grounds for removal from the rotation list; article violations carry the Traffic Code's general penalty of a petty misdemeanor, up to a $500 fine or 90 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pick my own tow company if police order my car towed?
What does a company need to become an approved Albuquerque wrecker?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albuquerque
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