La Habra, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Chapter 5.40 of the La Habra Municipal Code requires any tow operator whose principal place of business is in the city to hold a police-issued permit before engaging in tow service, per Section 5.40.020. Applicants apply on a form from the police department under Section 5.40.040, disclosing their address, tow truck locations and hourly availability, the addresses of public automobile storage facilities (which must sit within the city or within five miles of the city limits), proof they are at least eighteen, driver information for every operator, and a three-year employment history plus any criminal convictions, including Vehicle Code violations.

The chief of police investigates under Section 5.40.050 and may deny a permit for a falsified application, a missing document, a building or fire department deficiency, an underage applicant, or rates that exceed the city's own police-towing contract rates. A denial can be appealed to the city council within ten days under Section 5.40.100. Permits run two years and are nontransferable on any sale of the business (Sections 5.40.070, 5.40.080). Section 5.40.140 caps the fee at twenty dollars if the vehicle owner returns before the car leaves the private property, requires tow companies to accept bank credit cards and cash, and bars rates above the city's own contracted police-towing rates.

Section 5.40.110 requires posted warning signs at every entrance and exit of private lots where towing is authorized, printed with the police department's phone number. Operators must notify the police department before removing a vehicle from private property, per Section 5.40.120.