Hackensack, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Who needs a license
- Only towers seeking City-requested towing work
- Application fee
- $500
- Required response time
- Tow vehicle on scene within 15 minutes
- Passenger vehicle tow rate cap
- $150 under Section 159-10
- Storage rate cap
- $40 per calendar day
- Penalty range
- $100 to $2,000 fine, Section 159-13
Summary
Hackensack licenses "official towers" to handle police-requested vehicle towing under Chapter 159, requiring a $500 application fee, a 15-minute response time citywide and round-the-clock availability. Rates are capped by a City fee schedule, for example $150 to tow a private passenger vehicle and $40 per day of storage, and private towing companies not on the City's rotation are exempt from the chapter.
The City may license persons or companies meeting the criteria set forth in this chapter and engaged in the business of or offering the services of motor vehicle towing, wrecking or storage, whereby damaged, disabled and/or impounded motor vehicles are towed or otherwise removed from the place where they are damaged, disabled, and/or impounded by use of a tow vehicle, as defined herein. Such person(s) or company shall be known as an "official tower." ... The official tower shall furnish adequate and proper towing, wrecking, storage and emergency repair service to damaged or disabled motor vehicles within the limits of the City when requested to do so by the Chief of Police or, in the absence of the Chief, the City's highest-ranking law enforcement executive (or designee). ... It is required that a tow vehicle be on the site of the event within 15 minutes of the time a call is placed for the services of the official tower. ... No official towing operator licensed under this chapter may charge rates in excess of the following for towing, conveying, road service or storage of a motor vehicle.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4592721; v20 updated 2026-01-06; through 01-06-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 159, Towers and Wreckers, adopted June 9, 2015 by Ordinance No. 08-2015, governs vehicles towed at the direction of the Police Department, not private, negotiated tows; Section 159-2C is explicit that private towing service providers not seeking City work are not required to obtain a license and are not governed by the chapter. For anyone who does want to serve as a City-designated official tower, Section 159-2 requires a license issued by the City, and Section 159-4 sets the application requirements: business and ownership information, proof of insurance, a $500 processing fee, two business references, a list of every tow vehicle by VIN, and certification of at least three years' experience as a municipal tower somewhere in New Jersey, including at least one year in Bergen County.
Section 159-3 sets the service standard once licensed: an official tower must furnish adequate towing, wrecking, storage and emergency repair service around the clock, and a tow truck must reach the scene within 15 minutes of the Police Department's call. Section 159-10 caps what an official tower can charge; for a private passenger vehicle under 6,000 pounds the schedule sets towing at $150, road service at $60, a lockout at $60, and storage at $40 per calendar day, with higher rates for heavier vehicles. Enforcement and penalties are set out separately in Section 159-13.
Violations & Fines
Section 159-13 sets the chapter's own penalty: a minimum $100 and maximum $2,000 fine, up to 90 days' imprisonment, up to 90 days of community service, or a combination, with a repeat violation within one year drawing an added fine of at least $100 up to $2,000. Each day of a continuing violation is a separate offense, and a fine or jail term does not stop the City from separately suspending or revoking the tower's license.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every tow company need a license to operate in Hackensack?
How much can an official tower charge to tow a car in Hackensack?
How fast must an official tower respond to a call in Hackensack?
What happens if a Hackensack official tower violates the towing ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hackensack
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