St. Lucie County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- County Code § 46-78
- Trespass tow radius limit
- 15 miles from pickup point
- Contract retention
- 12 months after termination
- Trespass wrecker fee cap (Class A)
- $125.00
- Gate fee window
- $35, 8 p.m.–8 a.m.
- General penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 60 days jail
Summary
St. Lucie County caps what tow truck companies can charge for nonconsensual tows and requires a signed property-owner contract before hooking a car off private land. County Code § 46-78 sets maximum wrecker, mileage, and storage fees and bans towing without documented authorization.
In addition to the other requirements of this article, no tow truck company shall, for compensation, recover, tow, or remove a vehicle/vessel or provide storage in connection therewith without the prior express instruction of the vehicle/vessel owner or authorized driver, except in accordance with the following... No vehicle towed as the result of trespass towing shall be towed to and/or stored at a location more than a 15-mile radius from the point of initiation of such trespass tow. No person who provides services (trespass, nonconsensual towing) pursuant to this section shall recover, tow, or remove a vehicle from this county to another county (or vice versus) for the purposes of trespass towing and impounding.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32 | Land Development Code: Supplement 36).
Full Breakdown
Under County Code § 46-78, no tow truck company may recover, tow, remove, or store a vehicle or vessel for compensation without the vehicle owner's prior express instruction, except for a police-directed nonconsensual tow or a private-property impound ordered by the real property owner or an authorized agent. For private-property impounds, the tow company must notify the local law enforcement agency within 30 minutes of completing the tow, reporting the storage location, time secured, and the vehicle's make, model, color, and plate number, and must log the name of the officer who took the report.
Every prior express instruction must be signed in person (or faxed with a date/time stamp) unless the contract specifically allows photographic proof of an ingress/egress violation instead. Each tow company must keep a written contract on file with every property owner it tows for, naming who may authorize a tow and listing the company's current phone number; contracts must be retained at least 12 months after termination, and the county or law enforcement may demand a copy during business hours. Trespass tows cannot be hauled more than a 15-mile radius from where the car was picked up, and a company cannot tow a vehicle out of the county for storage purposes.
), $25/day outside storage, and $30/day inside storage. Fees adjust annually each April under § 46-79 using the January Consumer Price Index, effective the first Monday in October.
Violations & Fines
A tow company that skips the contract, notification, or signature requirements, exceeds the fee caps, or hauls a vehicle beyond the 15-mile trespass-towing radius violates County Code Ch. 46, Div. 2. Under the Code's general penalty, § 1-7, an ordinance violation carries a fine of up to $500.00, imprisonment up to 60 days, or both, and each continuing day counts as a separate offense; a penalty doesn't block separate license suspension or code enforcement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a tow company remove my car from private property without asking me?
How far can a trespass tow take my car in St. Lucie County?
What's the maximum a tow company can charge for a trespass tow?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Lucie County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare St. Lucie County to another location·View the Florida business licensing & operations overview
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