Jacksonville, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Jacksonville Police Department, Chief of Police
- Nonconsensual tow rate cap
- Set by City Council resolution
- Business license
- Required for all towing/storage firms
- Liability insurance minimum
- $45,000
- Police response time
- 25 minutes from dispatch
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $500, Class 3 misdemeanor
- Appeal window
- 5 days to city manager
Summary
In the City of Jacksonville, North Carolina, wreckers cannot charge more than the towing and storage fees the city council adopts by resolution for any tow performed without the vehicle owner's consent, including trespass tows and police-ordered removals. Sec. 27-16 requires every towing company to post its permitted charges, and the Jacksonville Police Department administers a rotation list under Chapter 27 for police-requested tows.
No person, firm or corporation providing vehicle towing services shall charge the owner of any vehicle towed without the consent of the owner an amount for towing and storage fees in excess of those fees prescribed in the schedule of nonconsensual towing fees adopted by resolution of the city council. The limitation on towing and storage fees set forth in this section shall apply to any tow performed without the prior consent or authorization of the owner or operator of the vehicle regardless of the reason for lack of consent. ... Each towing service shall post in a conspicuous place on the business premises and in any tow truck the permitted tow charges. Any person charged and convicted with a violation of this section shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) at the discretion of the courts, as provided by G.S. § 14-4.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 27 regulates wrecker and towing services in the City of Jacksonville, North Carolina. The chief of police administers the rotation list of eligible tow companies under Sec. 27-2, and any operator seeking police-requested work must file a wrecker service application/agreement under Sec. 27-3. To qualify, an applicant must provide continuous twenty-four-hour service, fenced and lighted storage within the city limits or ETJ, and carry at least forty-five thousand dollars in liability insurance under Sec. 27-6. Sec. 27-9 requires a valid driver's license, proper registration plates, the company's name on both sides of the wrecker, and a response time of twenty-five minutes to any call from the city's 911 center; missing that window more than twice in twelve months pulls the company from the rotation list for six months, and a repeat failure after reinstatement means a five-year removal.
Sec. 27-9(e) also requires a city business license for towing and storage facilities. For nonconsensual tows, meaning any tow performed without the owner's or operator's prior consent, such as trespass tows, illegally parked vehicles, or tows ordered by a public official, Sec. 27-16 caps charges at the schedule of fees the city council adopts by resolution and requires the permitted charges to be posted at the business and in every tow truck. Anyone who overcharges for a nonconsensual tow commits a Class 3 misdemeanor and faces a fine of up to five hundred dollars under G.S. § 14-4.
A towing firm may appeal an enforcement action by the chief of police to the city manager in writing within five days under Sec. 27-14.
Violations & Fines
Overcharging for a tow performed without the owner's consent is a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to five hundred dollars under Sec. 27-16 and G.S. § 14-4. Separately, the chief of police can strike a company from the rotation list for violating Chapter 27, missing the twenty-five-minute response window more than twice in a year, or soliciting business at accident scenes, and a struck company may appeal to the city manager within five days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a tow company charge whatever it wants for a nonconsensual tow in Jacksonville?
What happens if a towing company overcharges for a nonconsensual tow?
How fast must a rotation-list wrecker respond to a police call?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jacksonville
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