Apex, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum sign size
- 24 by 24 inches
- Vehicle release response time
- Within 30 minutes
- Storage lot location limit
- Within 10 miles of town hall
- Police report required
- Before leaving the private lot
- First-offense civil penalty
- $50
Summary
Apex requires posted signage, a police report, and a fast release window before a tow company can nonconsensually tow a vehicle from private lots in town.
It shall be unlawful to tow or remove a vehicle which is parked on private property without the permission of the owner or lessee of that private property unless notice in accordance with the provisions of this section is posted on the private property from which the towing or removal is made... A person with the authority and ability to release the vehicle must respond to the location of the vehicle within 30 minutes of a call being answered or voice message, when applicable, being returned.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
Apex Town Code art. XI (Sec. 20-205 to 20-213) governs nonconsensual towing from private, non-residential and multi-family lots in Apex, NC (Wake County). Tow firms must post a sign at least 24 by 24 inches at every access point before towing, and staff able to release a vehicle must reach the site within 30 minutes of a call. Operators must report each tow to the Apex Police Department before leaving the lot, provide an itemized receipt accepting cash and at least two major credit cards, and keep storage lots within a ten-mile radius of town hall. Violations carry escalating civil penalties.
Violations & Fines
Civil penalty of $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second offense within 12 months, and $250 for a third or subsequent offense within 12 months; the town may also seek equitable enforcement (Apex Town Code § 20-213).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a tow company tow my car from an Apex parking lot without warning?
How fast must an Apex tow operator let me retrieve my car before it leaves the lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apex
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How other cities in Wake County handle towing companies.