Richland County, SC Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Dispatch method
- Sheriff's office rotation list, two zones
- Liability insurance
- $100,000 single-limit minimum
- Basic tow charge
- $160
- Storage charge
- $25 per day
- Large wrecker tow
- $250 plus $200/hour
- Appeal window
- 10 days to county council
Summary
Unincorporated Richland County dispatches non-consent tows off a sheriff's-office rotation list, not driver choice. Wrecker services must apply to the county administrator, meet equipment and insurance standards, and follow set tow and storage fees before they can take rotation calls.
All wrecker services doing business within the unincorporated areas of the county meeting the requirements of this article will be dispatched from the sheriff's dispatcher's office which will have a list of participating wrecker services. The wrecker services will be set up on a rotation basis for the zones... If no particular wrecker operator or service is requested by the owner or driver, the dispatcher will refer to the list of wrecker operators for the zone where the vehicle is located and call the wrecker operator or service which appears next on his list after the name of the last operator which was called... The law enforcement officers will make no recommendation to the owner or driver as to their preference of a wrecker service.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-24: This supplement is current through Ordinance No. 033-25HR).
Full Breakdown
Richland County Code Ch. 25, Art. II sets up a sheriff's-dispatcher rotation system: the county is split into two zones, each with its own rotation list, and when a wrecker is needed with no preference stated, the dispatcher calls whichever service is next on that zone's list after the last one used. Officers cannot recommend a company to a stranded driver (§ 25-14). 5 tons), a tow sling, bar, dollies, chains, extinguisher and flares, a two-way radio, 24-hour service, a $100,000 single-limit liability and property-damage policy naming the county, sheriff and coroner as coinsureds, a fenced or covered storage lot (six-foot chain link topped with three strands of barbed wire), and a SLED criminal history check disqualifying anyone with a felony conviction or drug offense.
Section 25-20 fixes charges: a $160 basic tow, $125 per hour for special circumstances or equipment, $250 plus $200 per hour for large-wrecker (18-wheeler) tows, $25 per day storage, and a $50 (or $85 for large wreckers) release fee if the owner claims the vehicle after the wrecker is called but before towing begins. Wreckers must also remove debris left at accident scenes (§ 25-18) and log each tow's plate number, vehicle description, and ordering officer (§ 25-19).
Violations & Fines
The county administrator can pull a wrecker service's approval for failing to meet these standards, but only after giving 30 days' written notice to correct the deficiency (§ 25-15(b)). A denied or removed applicant can appeal to county council in writing within 10 days of notice (§ 25-17). Rotation companies must also respond free of charge for county emergencies (§ 25-21).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pick which wrecker company tows my car?
What does a Richland County tow legally cost?
How does a towing company get on the rotation list?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Richland County
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