Arlington County, VA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Towing fee cap (<=7,500 lb)
- $160
- Towing fee cap (7,501-10,000 lb)
- $250
- Towing fee cap (>10,000 lb)
- $500
- Storage fee cap
- $50 per 24 hours
- After-hours surcharge
- Up to $30, max 2 charges
- In-lieu-of-towing fee cap
- $20
- Violation penalty
- Class 4 misdemeanor fine
Summary
Arlington County caps non-consent trespass towing fees under Chapter 14.3: $160 for vehicles up to 7,500 pounds, $250 up to 10,000 pounds and $500 above that, plus a $50-per-24-hours storage cap and a $30 after-hours surcharge. Operators must also hold a County locality permit and post specific signage, or forfeit the right to charge any fee.
B. Pursuant to §46.2-1233 of the Code of Virginia, the maximum fees that may be charged for the towing of vehicles and for the storage of such towed vehicles are as follows: 1. for the towing of a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of seven thousand five hundred (7,500) pounds or fewer, the maximum fee shall be one hundred sixty dollars ($160.00); 2. for the towing of a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of between seven thousand five hundred and one (7,501) pounds and ten thousand (10,000) pounds, the maximum fee shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00), 3. for the towing of a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of ten thousand and one (10,001) pounds or greater, the maximum fee shall be five hundred dollars ($500.00). 4. for towing a vehicle between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. or any Saturday, Sunday or holiday, an additional fee of no more than thirty dollars ($30.00) per instance may be charged.
Full Breakdown
3-1, adopted to curb unfair and predatory towing and pricing practices and inadequate notice. 3-3 applies the chapter to trespass tows and their fees but exempts tows the County itself contracts for, tows requested by the vehicle's owner or a creditor repossessing it, and tows from a single-family or two-family residential parcel. A requires signs at every vehicle entrance at least 12 by 18 inches, printed with 'towing at owner's expense' lettering at least 3 inches tall, a tow-truck pictogram at least 2 inches tall, the hours towing is enforced, the towing operator's 24-hour phone number, the County Police non-emergency number, and the property's name or address.
or on a weekend or holiday. 6 voids the entire fee, towing and storage alike, if the operator fails to meet any of the chapter's requirements. E. 3-13 lets an operator appeal a permit denial, suspension or revocation to the County Board within 30 days.
Violations & Fines
Section 14.3-14.A makes any violation of Chapter 14.3 a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of not more than that set for a Class 4 misdemeanor. Beyond the fine, § 14.3-9.B.6 strips an operator of the right to collect any towing or storage fee at all for a tow that failed to meet the chapter's signage, notice or fee requirements, and permit denials, suspensions or revocations can be appealed to the County Board under § 14.3-13.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a tow company charge to tow my car from private property in Arlington County?
What are the storage fee limits after a trespass tow in Arlington County?
What signs must a property post before towing trespassing vehicles in Arlington County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington County
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