Amarillo, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Max tow fee (≤10,000 lbs)
- $210.00
- Max tow fee (25,000+ lbs)
- $459.00
- Sign posting requirement
- 24 hours before towing
- Fee review cycle
- Bi-annual, by Council resolution
- Repeat-offense fine
- Doubles, then triples, within 24 months
Summary
Amarillo caps non-consent tow fees at $210-$459 by vehicle weight under Sec. 10-3-111, bars kickbacks between property owners and towing companies, and requires 24 hours of posted signage before a private-property tow. Fee study reviews happen bi-annually before the City Council.
Sec. 10-3-111. - Maximum fee schedule. (a) The maximum fee that a towing company may charge for vehicle tow service...is: (1) Two hundred ten dollars ($210.00) for towing a vehicle with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of not more than ten thousand (10,000) pounds or a Drop Fee of one hundred five dollars ($105.00); and (2) Two hundred forty dollars ($240.00) for towage of a vehicle...more than ten thousand (10,000) pounds but not more than twenty-four thousand nine hundred ninety-nine (24,999) pounds or a Drop Fee of one hundred twenty dollars ($120.00); and (3) Four hundred fifty-nine dollars ($459.00) for towage of a vehicle...twenty-five thousand (25,000) pounds or more, or a Drop Fee of two hundred twenty-nine dollars ($229.00).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 81).
Full Breakdown
Article VII, Division 1 of Chapter 10-3, enacted under Texas Occupations Code Sec. 208, governs non-consensual tows from private property. Sec. 10-3-103 bars any financial kickback between a towing company and a property owner tied to a removal, and bars either side from holding a monetary interest in the other's business, with a defense for licensed vehicle storage facilities. Sec. 10-3-104 requires signs posted and maintained for at least 24 hours before a tow, naming only one towing company and one storage facility per property.
Sec. 10-3-105 requires either written per-vehicle authorization naming the year, make, model, color, plate, and VIN, or a standing written agreement with the property owner renewed at least every two years. Sec. 00 drop fee); no extra charge is allowed for linkage, dollies, or go-jacks, and owners must be offered cash or major credit card payment. The City Council reviews the fee schedule bi-annually upon a towing company's written request, backed by a towing fee study, and may adjust fees by resolution. Sec. 10-3-110 requires delivery of towed vehicles by the most direct route to the licensed storage facility named on the posted sign, with no interim stops. The Amarillo Police Department investigates complaints under Sec. 10-3-112, and the City Attorney may pursue civil remedies including injunctions.
Violations & Fines
Under Sec. 10-3-113, violating any non-consent towing provision (other than the reserved Division 2) is punishable by a fine of $200.00 to $500.00 per offense, with the minimum fine doubled for a second conviction of the same offense within 24 months and tripled for a third or later conviction, capped at the $500.00 maximum. A separate offense is charged for each vehicle towed in violation. Criminal prosecution does not bar the City Attorney from pursuing civil remedies as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a tow company charge in Amarillo?
Does a property owner need signs before towing my car?
Can a property owner get paid by the tow company?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Amarillo
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