Pinellas County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Written agreement required
- before any boot or trespass tow
- Storage site limit
- within 10 miles of tow origin
- Police notification
- within 30 minutes of the tow
- Consumer Protection contact
- (727) 464-6200 / consumer@pinellas.gov
- Class A trespass tow flat rate
- $147.00
- Class D trespass tow flat rate
- $520.00
- General penalty
- up to $500 fine, § 1-8
Summary
Before booting or trespass-towing a vehicle from private property in Pinellas County, a towing service must have a written agreement with the property owner covering fees, hours and a storage site within 10 miles, then notify police within 30 minutes of each tow. Towing services must post consumer-complaint contacts, keep three years of records, and face fines plus civil liability for violations.
Prior to the immobilization or private property trespass towing of any vehicle, the property owner of the real property from which such immobilization or tow is made and the immobilization or towing service shall have executed a written agreement which, at a minimum, shall contain the following provisions: ...(7)The address and description of the location where the vehicle will be towed/stored. Said storage site shall not be more than ten miles from where the tow originates... Any towing service initiating a private property trespass tow within the territory of Pinellas County shall notify the law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction of an area of such towing within 30 minutes of the completion of any such private property trespass tow. ... No towing service shall tow a vehicle when there is a person occupying the vehicle.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 124).
Full Breakdown
5 (§§ 122-38 through 122-45) governs private-property trespass towing and booting. 07. That agreement is waived only for single-family residences or vehicles blocking entrances, exits, drives or loading areas. Services cannot pay or accept kickbacks for towing rights, must haul vehicles directly to their own storage site, and cannot tow an occupied vehicle. Every trespass tow must be reported to the police agency with jurisdiction within 30 minutes, including the storage location, tow time, vehicle description and VIN, and a case number. gov. Data sheets and agreements must be kept three years.
and noon the next day without an on-site owner or lessee signature. Section 122-42 caps flat rates by vehicle class, from $147 (Class A private-property tow) to $530 (Class D police-directed tow), plus mileage, storage, lien and tarp fees, with a $60 administrative fee after 24 hours and no more than a 4 percent surcharge for card payment.
Violations & Fines
Under § 122-45, each violation of Article II.5 is a separate offense punishable under the Code's general penalty, § 1-8, up to a $500.00 fine, with continuing violations counted daily. Except for violating the one-hour retrieval promise in § 122-40(f)(4), a violator is also civilly liable to the vehicle's owner or lessee for the full costs of recovering the vehicle, attorney's fees, court costs, and any damages caused by the removal, transport or storage. Consumer complaints about excessive charges go to Pinellas County Consumer Protection under § 122-44.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Pinellas County towing company tow my car from private property without my consent?
How much can a Pinellas County tow company charge for a private-property trespass tow?
What must a towed vehicle's receipt disclose in Pinellas County?
Can a bar's parking lot tow my car at night in Pinellas County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pinellas County
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