Kauai County, HI Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Tow authority
- Police officers, Chief-of-Police-designated County employees
- Fee cap
- Lower of contractor rate or Police Department rate
- Abandoned-vehicle tow trigger
- 24 consecutive hours on a highway or road
- Unclaimed-vehicle notice
- Mailed; sale allowed after 20 days
- Tow-away zones
- Set by County Council resolution, signed
Summary
Kaua'i County Code § 16-9.12 lets police officers and Chief of Police designees order a vehicle towed and stored by a commercial towing service whenever it creates a traffic hazard, blocks a fire hydrant or obstructs emergency vehicles, and it caps what the towing contractor can collect from the owner.
(a) Any police officer or other County employee designated by the Chief of Police is hereby authorized to remove, tow away and store, or have removed, towed away and stored by any commercial towing service, any vehicle illegally parked in any place where such parked vehicle creates or constitutes a traffic hazard, blocks the use of a fire hydrant, or obstructs or may obstruct the movement of any emergency vehicle. ... (d) Vehicles towed away under the provisions of this Section shall be stored in the storage yard of the towing agency, and shall be restored to the owner or operator of such vehicle only upon the payment of towing charges and storage fees assessed according to the towing and storage charges currently allowed the commercial towing service contractor rendering such services for the County or specific towing charges established by the Police Department for tow away vehicles, whichever is lower.
Full Breakdown
Beyond hazard tows, § 16-9.12(b) lets the County Council designate tow-away zones by resolution, each marked by signs, and (c) separately authorizes towing any vehicle abandoned on a public highway or road for more than 24 consecutive hours, or any wrecked, burned or partially dismantled vehicle whose position or condition impedes traffic. The towing agency must store the vehicle in its own storage yard, and under (d) the owner pays only the lower of two figures: the towing and storage rate the County currently allows its commercial towing contractor, or the specific charge the Kaua'i Police Department has separately set for tow-away vehicles.
Section (e) gives the towing or storage provider a lien on the vehicle for those charges and requires the officer who orders the tow to promptly notify the Police Department dispatcher of where the vehicle is stored; owners bear the responsibility of asking the dispatcher where their vehicle went. The Police Department keeps a record of every tow, including the vehicle's color, make, year, body style and license plate, plus the date, hour and location of the tow and the storage site. If a towed vehicle sits unclaimed for more than 24 hours, § 16-9.12(g) requires a written notice mailed to the registered owner's address on file, warning that the vehicle will be sold if it remains unclaimed 20 days after mailing, with the sale run under HRS Chapter 290.
Violations & Fines
An owner recovering a towed vehicle owes whichever towing and storage figure is lower, the County-contractor rate or the Police Department's own tow-away rate, and the towing company holds a lien on the vehicle until those charges are paid. Failing to claim the vehicle within 20 days of the mailed notice exposes it to sale under HRS Chapter 290.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can order a non-consent tow on Kaua'i?
How much can a Kaua'i towing company charge me?
What happens if I never pick up my towed car?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kauai County
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