Polk County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- Polk County Code § 10.3-61 et seq.
- Applies to
- Nonconsensual tows, incorporated and unincorporated
- Rate authority
- Maximum charges set by Board resolution
- Storage charge waiver
- Free if redeemed within 6 hours
- Two violations in 12 months
- 60-day call-out suspension
- Three+ violations in 18 months
- 1-year call-out suspension
Summary
Polk County caps what tow truck operators can charge for nonconsensual tows made from private property or requested by law enforcement, setting maximum rates by county resolution rather than letting operators name their own price. Operators who register with the Sheriff's Office must document every charge, and repeat overcharging gets a company pulled from the Sheriff's call-out rotation.
Polk County intends to regulate the maximum price charged for nonconsensual towing services throughout the incorporated and unincorporated areas of Polk County to protect consumers and ethical tow truck operators. ... It shall be unlawful and a violation of this division for any tow truck operator to impose or attempt to impose any charges not described in section 10.3-63 of this division, or to impose or attempt to impose charges in excess of the maximum rates for nonconsensual towing services established by resolution. Any person who violates this division shall be prosecuted in accordance with Section 125.69, Florida Statutes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 109 | Land Development Code: Supplement 12).
Full Breakdown
07, Florida Statutes, or requested by law enforcement after a crash or arrest, throughout incorporated and unincorporated Polk County. , and a work/waiting time charge. The maximum dollar amount for each of these is fixed by resolution of the Board of County Commissioners, not by the operator. 3-64 requires operators to keep mileage, service, and price records, plus minute-by-minute time logs of the call-out, arrival, departure, and drop-off, and to produce them to law enforcement on request. Tow truck operators must register with the Polk County Sheriff's Office. 3-66 splits enforcement between the Sheriff's Office in unincorporated areas and each municipality's own law enforcement agency inside its limits.
Violations & Fines
Charging anything beyond the fees listed in section 10.3-63, or exceeding the board-set maximum rates, is prosecuted under Section 125.69, Florida Statutes, and the operator must immediately refund any illegal charge. A tow truck operator with two violations in any twelve-month period loses access to the Sheriff's call-out list for sixty days; three or more violations within eighteen months means a full year off the list. Violators also owe the vehicle owner damages, any resulting vehicle damage, court costs and attorney's fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a tow company in Polk County charge whatever it wants for a nonconsensual tow?
How long do I have to get my car back before storage fees apply?
What happens to a tow company that overcharges more than once?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Polk County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Polk County to another location·View the Florida business licensing & operations overview
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