Citrus County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Rate cap source
- FHP Troop C commander's rates
- Covers
- Non-consent, accident and private-property tows
- Debris duty
- Clear leaks & debris (§ 98-3)
- Default penalty
- Up to $500 / 60 days (§ 1-9)
Summary
Citrus County caps what wreckers can charge for non-consent tows, private-property tows and accident-scene removals at the maximum rates set by the Florida Highway Patrol Troop C commander under Code § 98-2, and requires operators to clear leaking fluids and collision debris from the roadway.
The board does hereby adopt the maximum towing and storage rates established by the Troop Commander of Florida Highway Patrol Troop C, as modified from time to time, as the maximum fees to be charged on the towing of vehicles from or immobilization of vehicles on private property, removal and storage of wrecked or disabled vehicles from an accident scene or for the removal and storage of vehicles in the event the owner or operator is incapacitated, unavailable, leaves the procurement of a wrecker service to a law enforcement officer at the scene, or otherwise does not consent to the removal of the vehicle. It shall be a violation of this section for an unauthorized wrecker operator, as defined by Ch. 98-324, Laws of Florida, to charge fees for removal and storage in excess of those rates established by the troop commander.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 76).
Full Breakdown
Section 98-2 adopts the maximum towing and storage rates set by the Troop Commander of Florida Highway Patrol Troop C, as that commander updates them, as the ceiling Citrus County wreckers may charge. The cap covers towing or immobilizing a vehicle on private property, removing and storing a wrecked or disabled vehicle from an accident scene, and removing and storing a vehicle when the owner or operator is incapacitated, unavailable, lets law enforcement call the wrecker, or otherwise does not consent to the tow, the classic 'non-consent tow' situations.
An unauthorized wrecker operator, as Florida law (Ch. 98-324, Laws of Florida) defines that term, violates Section 98-2 by charging above the Troop C rates. Section 98-3 layers on a roadway-safety duty: before righting, rolling, dragging or loading a wrecked vehicle from a collision, the operator must check it for leaking engine coolant, motor oil, transmission fluid, battery acid or other hazardous fluids, and drain, plug or otherwise secure any leak so it doesn't spill during removal; oil already on the roadway must be treated with an absorbent.
The same section requires the wrecker operator to inspect the roadway itself and clear reasonably removable collision debris, including broken glass, light-lens fragments, body molding and bumper pieces, and vehicle contents. These county traffic-code duties sit on top of, not in place of, the wrecker's state licensing. Both sections apply countywide, on county roadways, and are enforced alongside the parking and traffic provisions of Chapter 98.
Violations & Fines
Charging above the Florida Highway Patrol Troop C maximum rates is itself a violation of Section 98-2. Chapter 98 does not spell out a separate dollar penalty for that violation or for skipping the Section 98-3 debris and fluid cleanup duty, so both default to the Code's general penalty in Section 1-9: a fine up to $500.00, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can a tow company charge for a non-consent tow in Citrus County?
Does the wrecker have to clean up after a tow?
What happens if a wrecker overcharges?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Citrus County
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