Cape Coral, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration required
- Annual Police Department registration, $75 fee (§ 12-104)
- Sign requirement
- 4-inch 'tow-away zone' lettering at each driveway access
- Class A wrecker cap
- $165 base, $5.50/mile, $105/hour
- Storage fee cap
- $75/day for vehicles over 25 feet
- Violation fine
- Up to $500 per violation (§ 12-117)
Summary
Cape Coral caps what tow operators can charge for nonconsensual private towing and requires signed property-owner agreements plus posted warning signs before any vehicle can be towed from private property. Section 12-105 sets exact sign specifications; § 12-107 sets maximum rates by wrecker class, storage fees, and gate fees; violators owe the vehicle owner damages plus attorney's fees under § 12-117.
(c)Prior to towing, removing, or immobilizing any vehicle or vessel from private property without the consent of the owner or other legally authorized person in control of that vehicle or vessel, a sturdy weather resistant sign providing the following notice and meeting the following requirements must be posted on the private property:(1)The notice must be prominently placed at each driveway access or curb cut allowing vehicular access to the property, within five feet from the public right-of-way line. If there are no curbs or access barriers, a sign must be posted every 25 feet of lot frontage.(2)The notice must clearly indicate, in not less than two-inch high, light-reflective letters on a contrasting background, that unauthorized vehicles will be immobilized or towed away at the owner's expense. Whether the vehicles will be towed or immobilized, the words "tow-away zone" must be included on the sign in not less than four- inch high letters.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38).
Full Breakdown
Before a towing company can remove or immobilize a vehicle from private property without the owner's consent, § 12-105 requires the property owner to sign a written agreement with the towing company at least 24 hours in advance, listing the days, hours, and fees for towing. The company must also post a weather-resistant sign at every driveway or curb cut within five feet of the right-of-way, or every 25 feet of frontage where there's no curb, with unauthorized-vehicle warnings in at least two-inch light-reflective letters and the words 'tow-away zone' in at least four-inch letters, naming the towing company and its phone number.
Businesses with ten or fewer parking spaces can satisfy this instead with a simpler sign under § 12-113. 50 per mile, and $375 an hour. , and the administrative lien fee is capped at $100 and can't be charged until 72 hours of storage have passed. 75 a gallon. Operators must accept at least two forms of payment and cannot repossess a vehicle, or charge any fee, if the driver returns before the vehicle is hooked up.
Violations & Fines
Charging above the posted rate schedule, towing without the required signed property-owner agreement, or towing without registering with the Police Department violates §§ 12-104 through 12-107. Under § 12-117, a violator owes the vehicle owner all towing, storage, and immobilization costs plus attorney's fees and damages, and faces a separate fine of up to $500 per violation; the operator's permit can also be suspended or revoked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Cape Coral property tow my car without warning?
How much can a Cape Coral tow company legally charge?
What happens if I return before the tow truck finishes hooking up my car?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cape Coral
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