Columbia, SC Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Accident tow cap
- $225.00
- Parking/abandonment tow cap
- $175.00
- Heavy-duty wrecker rate
- $175.00 per hour
- Storage charge cap
- $35.00 per day
- Owner reclaim before removal
- $100.00
- License suspension authority
- Up to 60 days by police chief
Summary
Columbia caps non-consent tow fees, requires wrecker firms to hold a city business license and zone contract, and bars solicitation at accident scenes. Police direct all non-consent tows through a rotation list; the chief of police can suspend a towing license for up to 60 days for violations.
In all cases in which a vehicle is towed at the direction of city personnel or without the prior authorization or consent of the owner or operator of the vehicle, the following shall apply: (1)Towing. A maximum charge of $195.00... for one year and then $225.00 beginning on the 366th day following the effective date shall be made for the use of a wrecker when a vehicle is disabled as the result of an accident... If the vehicle is being towed for a parking violation or abandonment, a maximum charge of $150.00... and then $175.00... shall be made... (2)Storage. Maximum storage charges on stored or impounded vehicles shall be $35.00 per day
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 35).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 24, Article IV of the Columbia Code of Ordinances governs every tow ordered by police or made without the vehicle owner's consent. Sec. 24-201 makes it unlawful for a wrecker operator to respond to an accident scene unless dispatched by police, and Sec. 24-203 bars soliciting towing business outright, though an owner facing a non-accident breakdown may call any licensed wrecker of his choice. Sec. 24-205 lets an officer order a vehicle towed and impounded when it is abandoned, wrecked, illegally parked, or tied to a crime.
Sec. 24-206 gives the owner the right to name a licensed wrecker service; if none is named, or the tow is ordered by city personnel without the owner's consent, the call goes out under the city's zone rotation list set up under Sec. 24-207. Sec. 00 per day. Rates must be posted in the wrecker office, itemized on every receipt, and no extra fee may be added for paying by credit card, which every zone firm must accept. Sec. 24-214 requires a fenced storage lot of at least 50 by 100 feet with an attendant able to release a vehicle within 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, and a log of the vehicle, tow date, towing officer, and whether the vehicle was impounded or owner-requested.
Sec. 24-216 requires contracted wreckers to clear vehicles obstructing streets during emergencies or special events at no cost to the city or owner, and Sec. 24-217 requires the removal of glass and debris left at the tow site.
Violations & Fines
The police chief may direct the business license inspector to suspend or revoke a towing service's license for up to 60 days under Sec. 24-218 for a mistakenly issued license, breach of a zone-service condition, fraud in the application, a conviction involving business regulation or moral turpitude, or unlawful activity tied to the business. A suspension longer than 60 days triggers a right to a city council hearing on ten days' written notice, and revocation automatically ends the firm's zone-service contract under Sec. 24-209.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a Columbia wrecker charge for a non-consent tow?
Can I choose which wrecker tows my car in Columbia?
What happens if my car is towed before I arrive?
How does Columbia discipline a towing company that overcharges or breaks the rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbia
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