Jacksonville, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Section 804.1303 of the Jacksonville Ordinance Code sets the prerequisites for every non-consensual tow from private property under Part 13 of the Traffic Code, as rewritten by Ordinance 2026-358-E. Before any tow or storage for compensation, the real property owner and the towing-storage operator must execute a written agreement with seven required items: the owner's name and address, the location and description of the property, the duration of the agreement, the time of day towing is authorized, the days of the week towing is authorized, the address and description of the storage site, and the signatures of both parties certifying that each has read and complies with F.S. § 715.07 and Part 13. The storage site must be authorized under Sections 656.322 and 656.323 of the Ordinance Code and must sit within a ten-mile radius from where the tow originates.

Before the first tow, the operator files a copy of the agreement with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Vehicle Storage and Recovery Unit. Any change, amendment, modification or rescission must be reported to that unit within two business days, and the agreements are nontransferable. The written-agreement requirement does not apply to removals from property appurtenant to and obviously part of a single-family residence, or where a vehicle or vessel is parked so that it obstructs access to private entrances, exits, drives or loading areas.

Subsection (b) puts signage on the property owner. Unless F.S. § 715.07 excepts the property, the owner must post notice that unauthorized vehicles or vessels will be towed at the owner's expense. The sign can list only one towing-storage operator, with one name, address and current telephone number, and the vehicle or vessel can only be taken to the address printed on the sign.

The remaining subsections govern the tow itself. The operator keeps a rate sheet posted at its place of business, and the owner or an authorized representative must be present and sign at each tow. Electronic signatures and pre-approved or post-approved blank forms are not allowed. The operator must notify the Sheriff's Office within 30 minutes after completing the tow and take the vehicle directly to its storage site, not a temporary holding area.