Homestead, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Location requirement
- Within 5 miles of city limits
- Liability insurance minimum
- $250,000/person, $500,000/accident
- Storage compound fence
- Chain-link, 6 ft minimum height
- City-initiated tow fee
- $30.00 administrative fee
- County license required
- Miami-Dade Code § 30-464
- Gratuities to city staff
- Grounds for immediate revocation
Summary
Homestead only allows towing agencies that hold a current license under Miami-Dade County Code Section 30-464 and are selected through the city's procurement process, and every agency must be based within five miles of city limits under Sec. 16-314(1). Insurance, storage and reporting rules follow from that approval.
In order to provide towing service for all damaged, disabled and abandoned motor vehicles, the city will allow private towing agencies to provide such services. All towing agencies who propose to render such services within the City of Homestead must maintain a valid and current license as required by Section 30-464 of the Miami-Dade County Code of Ordinances. Towing agencies providing services to the city shall be selected through the city's procurement process as outlined in chapter 2, article VIII of the City Code. ... (1)The towing agency must be located within a five-mile radius of the city limits of the City of Homestead.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 87).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 16-312 lets private towing agencies serve the city only if they maintain a valid, current license as required by Section 30-464 of the Miami-Dade County Code, and agencies are selected through the city's procurement process under Chapter 2, Article VIII. Sec. 16-313 lets the city periodically review a towing agency's service quality and cancel its approval if it fails to meet requirements, with the city manager holding final discretion. Sec. 16-314 requires the towing company to be located within a five-mile radius of city limits, keep its premises identified by exterior signage and in a reasonably clean condition, and submit a towed-vehicle inventory report to the police department every Monday.
Tow truck operators must hold a current state chauffeur's license, and offering gratuities to any city employee is grounds for immediate revocation of the agency's approval (Sec. 16-315). 00 per accident for property damage, plus workers' compensation and automobile liability coverage, with the city named as an additional insured and 30 days' notice required before any cancellation (Sec. 16-317). 00 administrative fee for each city-initiated tow, though tows requested by a private party carry no administrative fee (Sec. 16-316). Every towing agency must also hold a current local business tax receipt under Sec.
16-40 to perform towing services (Sec. 16-319), and its storage compound must be enclosed by a chain-link fence at least six feet high, also within the five-mile radius (Sec. 16-325).
Violations & Fines
A towing agency that offers gratuities to a city employee faces immediate revocation of its approval under Sec. 16-315. Failing to carry the required $250,000/$500,000 liability insurance under Sec. 16-317, operating without the local business tax receipt required by Sec. 16-319, or locating outside the five-mile radius set by Sec. 16-314(1) and Sec. 16-325 are each grounds for the city to cancel the agency's approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any towing company operate in Homestead?
What insurance must a Homestead towing agency carry?
Is there a fee for a city-requested tow in Homestead?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Homestead
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