Gilbert, AZ Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Gilbert § 62-5
- Town-agent application fee
- $25.00
- Applies to
- Vehicles parked without owner's written permission
- Tow authority
- Police department or authorized private carrier
- Effective date (subsection a)
- March 1, 1999
Summary
Code of Gilbert § 62-5 lets a private property owner authorize the town to post no-sale/no-parking signs and remove unauthorized vehicles for a $25 application fee, and separately lets police tow any vehicle parked without the owner's written permission or authorize a private towing carrier to remove it.
The owner or person in lawful possession of any real property or building may submit an application to authorize the town to act as his agent for the purposes set forth in this subsection. Such application shall be made to the building official and shall be accompanied by an application fee of $25.00. ... The police department shall either cite the violator or on behalf of the owner of the property, take charge of, remove, and keep in custody any unoccupied motor vehicle ... found violating any of the provisions of this section. The police department may authorize a private towing carrier to tow the motor vehicle ... from the private property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 102).
Full Breakdown
Section 62-5, drawn from Code 1984 § 12-1-9 and amended by Ordinance No. 1090 in 1998, addresses vehicles left on someone else's property without consent. Subsection (a) makes it unlawful to drive any motor vehicle, motorcycle, minibike, trail bike, dune buggy, or motor scooter across another person's unpaved property without written permission from the owner or an authorized agent, in the operator's possession, effective from March 1, 1999. Subsection (b) separately makes it unlawful to park or leave a vehicle, motor home, mobile home, travel trailer, camper, boat, or trailer on another's private property without displaying written permission in public view.
Subsection (c) requires anyone placing a vehicle on someone else's property for sale or lease to first obtain all required permits and licenses, including zoning compliance. 00 application fee, to authorize the town to act as the owner's agent, posting signs that any vehicle placed for sale without permits may be towed, and posting no-unauthorized-parking signs generally. Once authorized, the Gilbert Police Department may either cite the violator directly or take charge of, remove, and keep in custody the vehicle on the owner's behalf, and may authorize a private towing carrier to perform the tow from the private property. The police department may also adopt rules to carry out the section's intent.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliance exposes the vehicle to town-ordered removal: police may cite the violator or take the vehicle into custody, and a private towing carrier may be authorized to tow it from the property. As a Chapter 62 offense, a citation under § 62-5 is a civil traffic violation prosecuted under Section 1-5, following A.R.S. Title 28's civil traffic procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Gilbert property owner have an unauthorized vehicle towed without asking police each time?
Does a towing company need the vehicle owner's consent to remove a car from private property in Gilbert?
Is parking on someone else's Gilbert property without permission illegal on its own?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gilbert
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