El Paso, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Light-duty tow cap
- $100 (up to 10,000 lb GVWR)
- Medium-duty tow cap
- $350 (10,000-25,000 lb)
- Heavy-duty tow cap
- $450 (over 25,000 lb)
- City impound fee
- $20 flat, § 12.54.060
- Violation penalty
- Up to $500, § 12.54.040
Summary
El Paso caps what a tow company can charge for a nonconsent tow under City Code § 12.54.020: $100 for light-duty vehicles up to 10,000 pounds, $350 for medium-duty up to 25,000 pounds, and $450 for anything heavier, plus a $20 city impoundment fee if the vehicle lands in a city-owned storage lot.
A.The maximum fee that a tow company may charge for nonconsent tow service including the cost of the clean-up of debris left by the vehicle, regardless of the type of truck used is:1.Light duty tows—$100.00 for towage of a vehicle with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of not more than 10,000 pounds and the clean-up of debris and cargos; or2.Medium duty tows—$350.00 for towage of a vehicle with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of more than ten thousand pounds but less than twenty-five thousand pounds and the clean-up of debris and cargos.3.Heavy duty tows—$450.00 for towage of a vehicle with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of more than twenty-five thousand pounds and the clean-up of debris and cargos.
Full Breakdown
A. 020 sets the maximum a tow company may bill for a nonconsent or police-ordered tow, tiered by the towed vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating: $100 for light-duty tows up to 10,000 pounds, $350 for medium-duty tows up to 25,000 pounds, and $450 for heavy-duty tows above that, each figure already covering debris clean-up. A tow company can add up to $25 for using dollies or go-jacks, and up to $55 per hour beyond the first two hours if a heavier tow runs long. 020(D).
030 requires the tow company to clear all wreckage and broken glass from the scene as part of that fee. 060 adds a flat $20 impoundment fee, on top of the tow fee, for any vehicle released from a city-owned or licensed storage facility after a police-ordered tow, remitted to the police department to cover impoundment costs.
Violations & Fines
Charging more than the § 12.54.020 fee schedule, or failing to remove debris under § 12.54.030, is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 under § 12.54.040. A towing company can request a fee-rate study from the chief of police no more than once every three years under § 12.54.050 if it believes the caps no longer cover its costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the maximum a tow company can charge in El Paso for a nonconsent tow?
Can I stop a tow truck from taking my car if I show up in time?
Is there an extra fee if my car is towed to a city impound lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso
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