Bay County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Bay County Code § 24-100
- Scope
- Unincorporated Bay County only
- Rate cap source
- Set by board resolution, not fixed dollar amount in code
- State law tie-in
- Must comply with F.S. § 713.78 notice rules
- Penalty for notice violations
- Removal from county tow rotation list
- Original enactment
- Ord. No. 08-17, adopted 3-4-08
Summary
Tow operators working unincorporated Bay County cannot charge more than the maximum rates the county commission sets by resolution. Whether a vehicle is pulled from private property, an accident scene, or impounded by police, companies must also follow the notice rules in Florida Statutes 713.78 or lose their spot on the county's rotation list.
When any vehicle is towed or otherwise removed from private property within the unincorporated areas of the county at the request of a private property owner or at the request of a law enforcement agency a wrecked or disabled vehicle is removed from an accident scene or other public property or is otherwise towed or impounded by law enforcement pursuant to this Code or state law, it shall be unlawful for any towing firm, corporation or person to charge or file a lien to collect any type of fee other than fees for which the board of county commissioners has set specific maximum rates by resolution, or to charge or file a lien to collect for towing or storage or other services in excess of the rates provided by resolution. All towing companies or persons performing towing services shall comply with the provisions of F.S. § 713.78, and in particular the notice provisions. Failure to comply with the provisions of F.S. § 713.78 shall result in the violator's removal from the rotation list for unincorporated county tows in addition to any other penalties imposed by law.
Full Breakdown
Article IV of the county's vehicle chapter, Sec. 24-100, governs towing rates and regulations across the unincorporated area. It covers three trigger situations: a vehicle towed from private property at the property owner's request, a wrecked or disabled vehicle removed from an accident scene or other public property, and any vehicle towed or impounded by law enforcement under the county code or state law. In all three, it is unlawful for a towing firm, corporation, or individual to charge or file a lien for any fee other than the specific maximum rates the board of county commissioners has set by resolution, and unlawful to collect towing, storage, or other service charges above those resolution-set rates.
78, with particular emphasis on that statute's notice provisions (the requirements for notifying vehicle owners and lienholders after a non-consent tow). The ordinance was first adopted by Ord. No. 08-17 on 3-4-08, then amended by Ord. No. 12-38 on 12-18-12 and Ord. No. 20-38 on 11-17-20, showing the county has revisited its towing rate structure at least twice since the original enactment. Because the actual dollar rate schedule is set separately by board resolution rather than printed in the code text, the enforceable cap moves with whatever resolution is currently in effect, but the duty to charge no more than that cap, and to follow the state notice rules, is fixed directly in Sec.
24-100. This section applies only in the unincorporated area of Bay County; Panama City and Panama City Beach operate under their own municipal codes and are not covered by this provision.
Violations & Fines
A towing company that ignores Florida Statutes 713.78's notice provisions faces removal from the rotation list for unincorporated county tows, cutting it off from the police-dispatched non-consent tow business, in addition to any other penalties imposed by law. Overcharging above the board's resolution-set maximum rates or filing a lien for an unauthorized fee is independently unlawful under Sec. 24-100 itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a towing company charge whatever it wants for a non-consent tow in unincorporated Bay County?
What happens if a tow company skips the required notice to the vehicle owner?
Does this rate cap apply inside Panama City or Panama City Beach?
Does the county code list the actual dollar towing rates?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bay County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Bay County to another location·View the Florida business licensing & operations overview
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