Bulloch County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Section 1428 of the Zoning Ordinance (Appendix C) governs 'junk yard, salvage and auto wrecking yard' uses, and subsection (k) draws the line for tow truck operators. A towing and wrecker service business is classified as a separate type of business from a salvage yard or junk yard, so straightforward towing and short-term vehicle storage does not automatically trigger the junk yard standards. But once a towing or wrecker business starts storing and reselling used vehicle parts, or dismantling, demolishing and abandoning inoperable vehicles on its lot, subsection (k) requires it to comply with every county ordinance applicable to salvage and junk yards.

That means the rest of Section 1428 applies in full: buildings, parking and circulation areas must sit 750 feet from any residence and 500 feet from any property line, storage areas must sit 1,000 feet from any water body or flood zone, and the site needs a buffer twice the normal minimum width behind an opaque wall or fence at least eight feet tall with full opacity. Vehicles and materials cannot be stacked above the fence line, all outdoor lighting must be recessed and downcast to avoid glare on neighbors, and any draining of fluids or battery removal from wrecked or towed vehicles has to happen inside an enclosed structure on a concrete pad, with the fluids disposed of under state and federal rules. No vehicle may sit in outdoor storage for more than 12 months.