Hampton, VA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Hookup/tow cap
- $125
- After-hours surcharge
- $10
- Storage fee
- $28/day after 24 hrs
- Oversight
- City-run rotating tow list
Summary
Hampton caps what tow operators on its police rotation list can charge for a police-requested tow, including a $125 hookup/tow ceiling and set add-on fees for storage, wait time, and after-hours calls.
The city manager or his designee shall maintain a list of tow operators who shall be called in sequence to provide services at the scene of accidents or traffic hazards or other such incidents. ... No hook up and initial towing fee shall exceed one hundred twenty five dollars ($125.00). For towing a vehicle between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. or on any Saturday, Sunday or holiday, an additional fee of ten dollars ($10.00) may be charged.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31 | Zoning: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Under Hampton City Code §§ 21-212 through 21-215.2, the city manager keeps a rotating list of towing companies that police call when a vehicle owner doesn't request a specific operator, a system created after a 2000 council-appointed towing advisory board reviewed local practices. Listed operators must meet safety, equipment, insurance, and business-license conditions, and their fees are capped: no more than $125 for hookup and initial towing, a $10 surcharge for tows between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. or on weekends and holidays, $28 per day storage after the first 24 hours, and $25 per half-hour of wait time. Operators must post the fee schedule where customers can see it.
Violations & Fines
Charging more than the posted fee caps, failing to display the allowed-fee schedule, or performing police-requested tows while off the city's approved operator list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can a police-requested tow charge me?
Who decides which tow company responds?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hampton
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