Cary, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Police report deadline
- 15 minutes after tow
- Release response time
- 2 hours (8 a.m. if overnight)
- Storage lot distance limit
- Within 15 miles
- First-offense civil penalty
- $100
- Accepted payment
- Cash plus 2 major cards
Summary
Cary regulates non-consensual towing from private parking lots, requiring posted signage, a 15-minute police report, and a two-hour response window to release a vehicle.
The towing or storage service shall maintain a telephone number for the purpose of receiving calls from the owners or operators of towed motor vehicles... A person with the authority and ability to release the motor vehicle shall respond to the location of the vehicle within two hours of a request for release being made during a phone call or by voice mail or answering machine message; unless (i) the request for release is made between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. and (ii) the motor vehicle was towed more than two hours before the request for release was made, in which case a person with the authority and ability to release the motor vehicle shall respond to the location of the vehicle at or before 8:00 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2023 S-87_S-57: Current through local ordinance 2022-Code-05, passed 11-17-2022 and effective 11-17-2022 | LDO: Current through local ordinance 2022-LDO-04, passed 11-17-22 and effective 11-17-22).
Full Breakdown
Under Town of Cary Code of Ordinances Chapter 20, Article IV, a towing or storage service cannot remove a vehicle from a private lot in Wake County unless the lot is properly signed under § 20-153. Any tow must be reported to the Cary Police Department within 15 minutes, and the service must maintain a phone line that either answers immediately or calls back within 30 minutes, with a person able to release the vehicle responding within two hours (or by 8:00 a.m. for late-night requests). Storage lots must sit within 15 miles of the tow location, be fenced, lit, and signed with the lot's name, address, and phone number.
Violations & Fines
Civil penalty of $100 for a first offense, rising to $250, $500, $750, and $1,000 for repeat violations within a year; violation is also a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Cary lot tow my car without warning?
How fast must a towing company release my car in Cary?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cary
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