Cedar Rapids, IA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Police notice
- Required before non-consent tow
- Reporting
- Daily tow report to CRPD
- Zoning
- No tow business in residential zones
- Time limit
- 1 hour towing on residential street
Summary
Cedar Rapids requires tow truck and wrecker operators to notify police before removing a vehicle parked without permission or abandoned on private property, and to file a daily report of every such tow.
No towing or wrecker service shall knowingly tow or conceal any motor vehicle wanted by a law enforcement agency in any police investigation. All towing and wrecker services shall notify the Cedar Rapids Police Department prior to towing a vehicle which has been either parked without permission or abandoned on private property and which the property owner, or the owner's agent or employee, has requested be towed. In addition, all towing and wrecker services shall submit to the Cedar Rapids Police Department on a daily basis a report of any and all such tows which have occurred on that day. (50-00, 027-09)
(057-18)
52A.06 - REMEDIES. In addition to any civil or criminal penalties, the city may also pursue injunctive or other relief to enforce the provisions of this chapter. This chapter may be enforced by the Chief of the Cedar Rapids Police Department or his designee, or the Director of the Cedar Rapids Building, Zoning, and Housing Department, or his designee.
(50-00)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 24).
Full Breakdown
Under § 52A.05, tow truck and wrecker services must notify the Cedar Rapids Police Department before towing any vehicle that has been parked without permission or abandoned on private property at the property owner's request, and must submit a daily report of all such tows to police. Operators also may not knowingly tow or conceal a vehicle wanted in a police investigation. The same section bars tow truck/wrecker businesses from Agricultural and Rural or Residential zoning districts, driver or vehicle transfers in residential districts, more than one tow truck kept on a residential lot, and parking a vehicle in tow on a residential lot or any street for more than one hour.
Violations & Fines
Skipping the required police notice or daily tow report violates § 52A.05 and is enforceable by the Police Chief or the Building, Zoning and Housing Director through injunctive relief plus civil or criminal penalties under § 52A.06.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a tow company have to notify police before towing my car from a private lot?
Can a wrecker business operate out of a house in Cedar Rapids?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cedar Rapids
Compare Cedar Rapids to another location·View the Iowa business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.