Cheektowaga, NY Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual license fee
- $2,500, nontransferable
- Required response time
- Within 30 minutes
- Minimum on-site storage
- 15 vehicles, fenced lot
- Letter of authorization term
- 1 year, renewable
- Enforcing official
- Chief of Police / Town Board
- Appeal notice period
- 10 days before hearing
Summary
Cheektowaga licenses tow companies that respond to Police Department calls, charging a $2,500 annual fee under Town Code Chapter 241. Authorized Town towers must keep a 15-vehicle storage lot, respond within 30 minutes, and follow Town Board fee schedules. Drivers may still hire their own towing company when a vehicle is not police-ordered or a road hazard.
It is the purpose and intent of this chapter to establish an orderly system for the safe and expeditious removal of disabled motor vehicles from the streets of the Town of Cheektowaga, to supervise and control the operation of towing businesses that are granted permission to tow for the Town of Cheektowaga Police Department and to remove and dispose of vehicles abandoned on streets located in the Town of Cheektowaga. The provisions of this chapter shall not prohibit the driver or owner of a vehicle which needs towing service from contracting with any towing company of his own choice, provided that: (1) The vehicle is not being towed by police order pursuant to an arrest or a violation of law or statute or for police investigation; and (2) The vehicle is not a safety hazard and does not require a police vehicle to stand by, awaiting outside tow service.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4996449; v35 updated 2026-05-26; through 05-26-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 241 sets up a permission system for towing on behalf of the Cheektowaga Police Department; it does not regulate a driver's free choice of tower unless the tow is police-ordered after an arrest or investigation, or the vehicle is a safety hazard requiring police standby (§ 241-1). No towing company may tow for the Police Department until the Chief of Police and Town Board designate it an "authorized Town tower" (§ 241-4). Applicants complete a form disclosing storage-area size and fencing, truck details, driver rosters, insurance, and Visa/Mastercard contracts, and consent to a fingerprint background check run through the Division of Criminal Justice Services; felony, vehicle-theft, insurance-fraud or sex-offense convictions bar authorization (§ 241-6).
The letter of authorization runs one year and costs a nontransferable $2,500 annual fee, due at issuance or renewal (§ 241-7). -noon, keep a fenced storage lot holding at least 15 vehicles with 25 more in approved overflow storage, and charge no more than the rates the Town Board sets by resolution (§§ 241-8, 241-10, 241-15). The Chief of Police divides the Town into tow zones, limiting each zone to its assigned tower, within 60 days of the chapter's effective date (§ 241-14), and conducts quarterly inspections; a tower has 15 days to fix any noted deficiency or risk losing its authorization (§ 241-16).
Violations & Fines
Chapter 241 enforces through licensing, not fines: the Chief of Police may rescind a letter of authorization for violating the chapter or for false statements on the application (§ 241-18). A tower facing refusal, revocation or suspension can appeal to the Town Board, which must hold a hearing after the Town Clerk mails at least 10 days' written notice, and the tower may appear with counsel and present evidence (§ 241-19).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pick my own tow company in Cheektowaga?
How much does it cost to become an authorized Town tower?
What happens if a Town tower breaks the rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cheektowaga
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