Greenville, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Section 11-7-2(A) authorizes the Chief of Police to set up a rotation list of tow services willing to respond to police officer requests, and requires every listed tow service to comply with the chapter and any additional rules the Chief issues. Subsection (B) caps the rotation list at 20 tow service operators; when a slot opens up because an operator leaves voluntarily or is removed, the Chief fills it by drawing from qualifying applicants until the list is back to 20. Section 11-7-4 makes it unlawful for a tow service to engage in police-requested towing without first getting a rotation list permit, which runs for one year and can be renewed.

Section 11-7-3 governs how a tow is assigned during a police-initiated tow: the vehicle's operator, if present and not incapacitated, may pick a tow service of their choice located a reasonable distance away, with police on scene deciding what distance is reasonable; if the operator is absent, incapacitated or has no preference, the officer calls the tow service that is next up on the rotation list; and in an emergency, the officer can call whichever tow service is nearest or has the heavy equipment needed.

Section 11-7-5 requires a notarized application listing every owner's name and address, business contact and storage-area information, and a certification about the size, capacity and condition of the operator's tow trucks. The chapter, rewritten in full by Ordinance No. 07-16 effective March 1, 2007, also covers insurance requirements, a Chief of Police investigation of each applicant, annual inspections, and suspension or revocation of the permit under § 11-7-12.