Grand Prairie, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit fee
- $20.00 inspection fee per wrecker
- Permit term
- Expires midnight June 30 each year
- Standard truck winch
- Minimum 10,000-lb rated winch
- Liability insurance
- $300,000-$500,000 combined single limit by weight
- Max fine
- Up to $500 per day violated
Summary
Grand Prairie requires every wrecker operator to hold a $20-per-truck permit from the chief of police under Code of Ordinances Sec. 27-62 before towing on city streets. Permits list every operator and vehicle, run through June 30 each year, and require liability, cargo and on-hook insurance that scales with the truck's weight class.
(a)Permit required. No person shall operate a wrecker upon the streets of tile city without first obtaining a permit as hereinafter provided from the chief of police.(b)Application for permit. Application for a permit hereunder shall be made to the chief of police and shall contain:(1)Name, home address and business address of applicant;(2)The names and addresses of all operators to be utilized by applicant pursuant to this article;(3)Prior criminal convictions of applicant and applicant's wrecker operators, excluding minor traffic violations;(4)A description of all wrecker vehicles and equipment to be utilized by applicant pursuant to this article...(c)Permit fee. Every application, when filed, shall be accompanied by an inspection fee in the sum of twenty dollars ($20.00) for each wrecker proposed to be operated.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 116).
Full Breakdown
Article II of Chapter 27 sets out Grand Prairie's wrecker service permitting scheme, running from Section 27-60 through Section 27-68. 00 inspection fee per wrecker. The article exempts wreckers that are registered with the Texas Department of Labor and Standards, based outside Grand Prairie's corporate limits, and performing consent tows only, as well as wreckers owned by other governmental bodies towing their own vehicles. 5 tons with a winch rated for at least 32,000 pounds. 00 for heavier tandem-axle trucks), with the city named as an insured and a ten-day cancellation notice endorsement.
Section 27-64 requires a separate permit for each wrecker vehicle, non-transferable, expiring every June 30. Sections 27-65 and 27-66 bar a wrecker company from responding to a private call when a street wreck or collision is involved, and bar driving a wrecker to an accident scene unless the chief of police called it there under an emergency wrecker contract.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 27's general offense provision, Section 27-46, makes violating any wrecker-article requirement a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $500.00 per day of violation, and Section 27-45 lets police officers who observe a violation take direct enforcement action independent of the chief of police's own authority. Operating without a permit, running a non-compliant tow truck, or responding to a private wreck call in violation of Section 27-65 all fall under that fine schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do out-of-town tow companies need a Grand Prairie wrecker permit?
How much insurance does a Grand Prairie wrecker need?
Can a wrecker respond to an accident scene on its own in Grand Prairie?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Prairie
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