Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2308 licenses tow operators, vehicle storage facilities, and incident-management towers through TDLR; Austin City Code Chapter 12 layers wrecker permits, rotation rosters, and consent-tow disclosures, with maximum nonconsent fees set by TDLR rules.
Every Austin towing company holds a TDLR towing license and vehicle storage facility license under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2308. Drivers must hold individual incident-management or private-property tow operator licenses. Austin Code Chapter 12 adds local wrecker permitting, an APD-administered rotation roster for police-initiated tows, and consent-tow rules requiring conspicuous parking-lot signage with the towing company name, phone, and rate. Maximum nonconsent fees are set by TDLR: roughly $272 light-duty plus daily storage. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation handles fee disputes through hearings, and tow truck markings and lighting must meet state standards. Austin Police Department's Vehicle Tow Unit oversees rotation calls, stolen-vehicle holds, and complaint investigations.
Tows exceeding the TDLR maximum, towing without signage, or operating an unlicensed wrecker are class C misdemeanors under Austin Code Chapter 12, plus TDLR fines up to $5,000 per violation, license revocation, and treble-damage civil suits by vehicle owners.
See how Austin's towing companies rules stack up against other locations.
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