Kenosha, WI Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $100.00 per year, expires June 30
- Minimum equipment
- Two tow trucks meeting winch/GVW specs
- Storage lot
- Six-foot fence, 30 outdoor + 2 indoor spaces
- Standard tow rate
- $125-$150 under 10,000 lbs (§13.12.J)
- Service requirement
- 24-hour towing service, every day
- Junk vehicle tow hours
- 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon-Sat only
Summary
Kenosha requires wreckers who tow vehicles at the Police Department's request, including disabled, abandoned, illegally parked or evidence vehicles, to hold a City towing license under § 13.12. Licensees rotate assignments by Class I, II and III lists and must run 24-hour service under a fixed rate schedule.
Motor vehicles must, of necessity, be removed from public or private property at the request of the City Police Department without the owner's permission, where said vehicles: are disabled, are abandoned, constitute a public or private nuisance, are illegally parked, are evidence, are stolen, or are or were in the ownership or control of a prisoner or dead or disabled person who is unable to personally arrange for towing. The above service shall be known as "Class I Tows." ... No person or wrecker shall engage in Class I, II and III tows within the City or at the request of the City, or its Police Department, without first having obtained a license therefor from the Common Council.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11 Update 1 | Zoning Ordinance: Supplement 9).
Full Breakdown
12, governs 'Class I Tows' (vehicles removed at Police Department request because they are disabled, abandoned, a nuisance, illegally parked, evidence, stolen, or left by a dead, disabled or arrested owner), 'Class II Tows' (no-preference tows for stranded motorists) and 'Class III Tows' (disabled City vehicles). No wrecker may perform any of these tows, or accept a no-preference assignment, without a Common Council license. To qualify, a tower must own or exclusively lease at least two tow trucks meeting minimum winch and GVW specifications, maintain a storage lot within the City (or within one air mile of the City limits) enclosed by a six-foot screening fence with room for at least 30 vehicles outdoors and two indoors, carry liability and workers' compensation insurance, and pass a Police Chief inspection certificate.
00 per year, non-prorated, expiring every June 30. Licensees cannot employ any law enforcement officer or civilian police employee. m. 00 per day for vehicles under 10,000 pounds. Assignments rotate among licensees on three class-specific lists administered by the Police Department, and licensees must offer towing service 24 hours a day, every day. A licensee who fails to respond to three calls in a license year must explain the failures to the Finance Committee or face probation, suspension or revocation. , Monday through Saturday, unless the vehicle is an immediate hazard.
Violations & Fines
A wrecker who disrupts the rotation or otherwise violates § 13.12 faces license revocation, termination or suspension after written notice and a hearing before the Finance Committee, with the Common Council issuing final action. Operating Class I, II or III tows without a City license, or accepting no-preference assignments unlicensed, is a separate chargeable violation enforced by the Kenosha Police Department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kenosha require a license to tow vehicles for the police?
How much can a licensed Kenosha tower charge to tow a car?
When can a junked or abandoned car be towed in Kenosha?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kenosha
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