Boulder, CO Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

C. 1981, 'Towing Regulations,' governs towing carriers operating in Boulder, whether they are towing on the city's behalf or performing private, non-consent tows from parking lots under Section 7-7-5. No towing company may operate in the city at all without a valid motor carrier permit under Subsection (h). A carrier cannot tow a vehicle unless directed by a law enforcement officer, requested by the vehicle's owner or authorized operator, or authorized by the property owner in a form sufficient under state law. If the vehicle's owner, operator, or authorized agent shows up in person after the tow truck has backed up in alignment with the vehicle or made contact with it, but before it actually leaves the property, the operator must release it free of charge.

Towing companies cannot demand cash-only payment for release, and if the storage facility is closed or does not respond to an after-hours release request within one hour, no towing or storage fee may be charged at all. After-hours gate fees are capped at whichever is less: the state-permitted rate or half the state-permitted tow rate. If a vehicle is towed more than 12 miles from where it was parked, the company must credit the invoice using the IRS mileage rate multiplied by the extra distance.

Operators must log the reason, location, and time of every tow, photograph the vehicle's condition before towing, notify the registered owner by certified mail within 72 hours or the next business day, and notify the Boulder Police Department within 30 minutes of any non-consent tow, including the vehicle's make, model, and plate. Personal property left in a towed vehicle must be returned on demand without charge. Where state law conflicts with these local rules, state law controls, per Subsection (a).