Bayonne, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Garage location
- Must be inside Bayonne
- Storage capacity
- Minimum 25 vehicles, fenced/lit
- Pickup hours
- 8am-6pm weekdays, 8am-1pm Sat.
- After-hours fee
- $75
- Free retrieval window
- 2 hours before storage fee applies
Summary
Wreckers and tow trucks doing nonconsensual municipal police towing in Bayonne must hold a city license, keep a garage inside city limits, staff a pickup office on set hours, and follow state-capped towing rates.
In compliance with N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.49, no person, persons, partnership or corporation shall be eligible to engage in the business of operating wreckers, tow trucks or related recovery equipment for the purpose of municipal police towing within the City of Bayonne without first obtaining a license as provided for herein. ... The towing office shall be open and staffed and vehicles shall be available for pickup at said location from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, excluding holidays as adopted annually by Municipal Ordinance. ... Licensee may charge a fee of $75 for after-hour pickup. ... Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, be subject to the penalty provision set forth in § 1-5 of the Revised General Ordinances of the City of Bayonne; and may be subject to imposition of penalties pursuant to N.J.S.A. 56:13-5.
Full Breakdown
Section 4-29 of the Bayonne City Code, adopted under N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.49, authorizes the city to regulate nonconsensual removal of vehicles from private or public property, including storage fees, notice and licensing of operators. Section 4-29.1.a requires a license before operating wreckers, tow trucks or recovery equipment for municipal police towing, with applicants filing a sworn form listing their equipment, garage address and 24/7 contact number. Section 4-29.1.c requires the garage and storage area to sit inside Bayonne, fenced and lit for at least 25 vehicles, plus insurance including $1,000,000/$2,000,000 general liability and motor vehicle coverage, and a pickup office open 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Saturdays, with after-hours pickup available for a $75 fee. Licensees rotate call assignments weekly under Section 4-29.2.a and must charge under the Maximum N.J. State Police Rates, may not charge on-hook mileage within city limits, and cannot charge a storage fee if the owner retrieves a vehicle within two hours. The Bayonne Police Department administers the program under Section 4-29.3, and cruising for tows or paying for accident-location tips is barred under Section 4-29.2.e.
Violations & Fines
Violating any towing licensing or operating provision is punishable, upon conviction, under the general penalty in Chapter 1, Section 1-5, and a licensee may also face penalties under the Predatory Towing Prevention Act, N.J.S.A. 56:13-5, as set out in Section 4-29.5.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where must a Bayonne police-towing company keep its storage lot?
How much can a Bayonne tow company charge for an after-hours vehicle pickup?
Is there a grace period before a Bayonne tow yard can charge storage fees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bayonne
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Towing Companies in Nearby Cities
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