Chatham County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Under Sec. 10-602, a company only qualifies as a 'wrecker service' for the Chatham County Police Department's Head-Out Wrecker Service Call List if it can provide towing 24 hours a day, seven days a week, meet vehicle-storage standards under the county's junk yard and storage-area zoning rules, offer auto body repair on-site, and hold a county license as a junk yard or storage area. Sec. 10-603 sets the equipment floor: each listed company must keep at least one working wrecker able to handle light and heavy loads, stocked with fire extinguishers, chains, dollies, emergency lighting, and glass-cleanup gear, and must maintain a storage lot for at least 30 vehicles.

The code classifies wreckers into three tiers by gross vehicle weight and winch capacity: light duty (8,500 lbs GVW minimum, 5,000 lb winch), heavy duty (10,000 lbs GVW, 10,000 lb winch), and extra heavy duty (30,000 lbs GVW, 30,000 lb winch). Sec. 50 per vehicle per day, and towed cars cannot be left on any county right-of-way. Listed companies must carry liability insurance covering bodily injury and property damage claims and must indemnify the county and its police department. C. Section 605, is removed from the rotating list, though an owner may request a hearing before the Chief of Police.