Hawthorne, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit
- City referral towing permit (Ch. 5.94)
- Fee
- 15% of referral gross receipts
- Response time
- 15 minutes
- Minimum fleet
- 3 tow trucks (1-ton+) plus 1 flatbed
- Storage capacity
- 70 vehicles minimum
- Records retention
- 5 years
- Late fee penalty
- 10% of amount due
Summary
A tow operator that wants Hawthorne Police Department accident and impound referrals must hold a separate city referral towing permit under Municipal Code Chapter 5.94. Permittees pay the city 15% of gross receipts earned from those referrals, must reach the scene within fifteen minutes, and must run a fleet and storage yard that meet the chapter's minimum equipment and capacity standards.
A towing business that receives the right from the city to service city referrals shall beforehand have duly obtained a referral towing service permit from the city's business license department.
Full Breakdown
070 requires at least three one-ton-or-larger dual-rear-wheel tow trucks plus one flatbed always available, access to a semi-truck-capable tow vehicle, FCC-compliant radios, a cable winch able to pull vehicles out of embankments, and tools like dollies and slim jims; converted pickup trucks do not qualify. 090 requires a fenced, lit storage yard inside the city holding at least seventy vehicles, a separate lockable garage for at least three police-evidence vehicles with a key held by the police department, and twenty-four-hour surveillance. 100 requires all operators to be fingerprinted and photographed by the Hawthorne Police Department, uniformed with the company and individual's name, and fluent in English.
080 sets a fifteen-minute response time; if that is not achievable the permittee must notify the city of the expected arrival time, and the city can call a different tow company if the ETA is unacceptable. 040 sets the permit tax at fifteen percent of gross receipts from city-referred business, due fifteen days after the end of each month, on top of the general business license tax, with a ten percent penalty added for late payment. 050.
Violations & Fines
Section 5.94.210 makes it unlawful to violate any provision of this chapter. Section 5.94.200 lets the city council grant, deny, revoke, suspend, or cancel a referral towing permit at its discretion if the permittee has not complied with the chapter or is not a fit operator. A felony conviction of the permittee or key personnel can trigger suspension or revocation under Section 5.94.204. Absent a chapter-specific fine, violations default to the citywide misdemeanor penalty in Section 1.20.010: up to $1,000 and six months in jail, with continuing violations charged per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every tow company operating in Hawthorne need this permit?
How fast must a permitted tow company respond?
How much of the tow bill goes to the city?
Can the city pull a company's referral permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawthorne
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