Inglewood, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Article 6 of Chapter 8 governs 'City referral' towing, meaning Police Department requests to move city or private vehicles. Section 8-90.1 requires a referral towing service permit before a company can receive these referrals, and the City caps the total number of permits at three vendors; the Police Chief may still refer work to a non-permit holder in an emergency or when no permit holder is available. Getting a permit requires a City Council public hearing under § 8-90.3, with at least ten days' written notice to the applicant, existing permit holders, and the public via posting at City Hall, and the Council weighs the applicant's character, experience, financial responsibility, and capacity before issuing under § 8-90.4.

Towing rates are capped annually by the Chief of Police, pegged to the average of maximum rates allowed by the LAPD, LA County Sheriff, and CHP in the greater Los Angeles area, per § 8-90.5. Section 8-90.6 charges each permittee seven percent of gross receipts from City-referred business each quarter, plus a flat $150 administrative fee per vehicle impounded for reasons like an arrested or unlicensed driver, expired registration over six months, or a hit-and-run investigation; late quarterly payments draw a ten percent penalty. Half of those administrative fees go to the General Fund and half to a dedicated Traffic Offender Fund under § 8-90.7. Tow operators must also meet equipment standards, a fifteen-minute response time enforceable by permit suspension (§ 8-91.1), storage-lot security requirements including a six-foot fence (§ 8-91.2), and carry at least $1,000,000 in combined single-limit liability insurance (§ 8-91.3).