Gulfport, MS Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Max light-duty tow fee
- $135 plus fuel surcharge
- Storage fee
- $20/day uncovered, $25/day covered
- Release hours
- Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 8am-noon
- Police notice required
- within 15 minutes of tow
- First offense fine
- up to $250
- License required from
- Gulfport city clerk
Summary
Any towing service that removes a car from private property in Gulfport without the owner's consent needs a city license, required warning signs, and must notify police within 15 minutes, and may charge no more than $135 plus a fuel surcharge for a light-duty tow. Towing from public streets requires authorization from police, the owner, or the driver, and towing services cannot pay for referrals.
No motor vehicle may be towed by a towing service from any public street or way, public alley or other public property except pursuant to explicit authorization from a law enforcement officer, owner of said vehicle or duly authorized driver of said vehicle. It shall be unlawful for any towing service to make a payment of any kind to any peace officer or law enforcement in return for authorization to tow a vehicle. Before a towing service may remove an unauthorized vehicle from private property, the towing service must first obtain a written request from the property owner, the property owner's authorized agent or the lessee of the property to remove the vehicle in question, unless the towing service has been given written authorization by one (1) of the aforementioned persons to remove all unauthorized vehicles from said 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 68).
Full Breakdown
Article XXI of the Gulfport Code, Sec. 6-516 through Sec. 6-528, governs trespass and police-directed towing separately from Article XIX's police wrecker rotation. Under Sec. 6-520, any company towing and storing vehicles removed from private property must hold a valid license from the city clerk, carry liability insurance from a state-authorized surety, and mark its trucks with the company name in letters at least four inches high and its address and phone number in letters at least two inches high, visible from 100 feet. Sec.
6-521 requires a 24-by-24-inch sign at every driveway or curb cut, with two-inch 'tow-away' lettering and one-inch restriction wording, though Sec. 6-521(c) waives the sign for a residential yard or driveway tow, a blocked entrance, or a vehicle abandoned 24 hours or disabled. Sec. 6-522 caps the flat rate for a light-duty vehicle (15,000 pounds or less) at $135 plus the fuel surcharge, with storage at $20 a day uncovered or $25 covered, and bars add-on fees for a double hookup, locked-vehicle entry, dollies, or time on scene.
Sec. 6-523 lets an owner who arrives with the ignition key before the tow leaves take the car free, unless equipment is already attached, capping that charge at $135. Sec. to noon by appointment, a 45-minute release window after payment, acceptance of a major credit card with no surcharge, and a $45 late-release fee outside business hours. Sec. 6-526 requires notice to the police department's non-emergency line within 15 minutes of the tow with the vehicle's location, VIN, and case number.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 6-528 makes any violation of Article XXI a misdemeanor: up to $250 for a first offense, up to $500 for a second within a year, and up to $1,000 for a third or later offense in that year, with every violation treated separately. The chief of police enforces the article under Sec. 6-527 and may enter a wrecker or storage lot to check compliance, and any person may file a complaint with the police department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Gulfport tow company charge extra for paying by credit card?
How fast must a Gulfport tow company release my car after I pay?
Does a landlord need a sign before towing a car from an apartment lot?
What happens if I reach my car before the tow truck drives off?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gulfport
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