Charleston, WV Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum truck rating
- 10,000 lb chassis, 4-ton crane
- Outdoor storage required
- 2,500 sq ft, fenced
- Indoor storage required
- Covered space for 5 vehicles
- Public hours
- 8 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays
- Dispatch requirement
- 24-hour phone and radio
Summary
Charleston bars any towing company from handling police-ordered tows of wrecked, abandoned, or disabled vehicles unless its trucks, storage yard, and business hours meet the minimum standards set out in Sec. 114-762.
No person shall tow for the city or provide services incidental to the towing, removal or storage of any wrecked, abandoned, disabled or other vehicle pursuant to a lawful order of the city police department unless its vehicles and its principal place of business and storage facilities inside the city meet or exceed the following criteria... A towing company's place of business shall be open to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and shall be able to be contacted by telephone at all other hours of the week.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
Any company that tows for the city police department -- wrecked, abandoned, or disabled vehicles pulled under a lawful police order -- must meet the standards in Sec. 114-762. Trucks need at least a 10,000-pound chassis, a commercial crane and winch rated at four tons, 100 feet of three-eighths-inch cable, and a padded tow sling; hand-crank winches don't qualify. The company's lot needs 2,500 square feet of fenced outdoor storage plus covered indoor space for five vehicles, public restrooms, 24-hour phone and radio dispatch, and posted hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays. No two companies may share one storage lot.
Violations & Fines
Towing without meeting the equipment, storage, and hours standards is a Code violation: fine of $10 to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both, under the city's general penalty section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any tow company do police-ordered tows in Charleston?
Can two towing companies share one storage lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charleston
Compare Charleston to another location·View the West Virginia business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.