Lake Elsinore, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

LEMC Chapter 12.14 governs the City's and Police Department's towing service for emergency situations and for removing vehicles that are abandoned, involved in an accident, or obstructing traffic from mechanical failure. Section 12.14.030 lets the City Council, at its discretion, grant a nonexclusive franchise to a tow truck operator to provide these towing services, and § 12.14.040 confirms the City is never required to grant any particular number of franchises. Selection runs through a competitive process under § 12.14.050: the City Manager issues a request for qualifications posted on the City website and a vendor-management site, responses are due no earlier than 20 days after posting, and the Police Chief evaluates qualifications and submits a recommendation to the City Council within 60 days, considering operational needs, population growth, and existing franchisees' response times.

Franchisees then operate on a rotation system set by the Police Chief under § 12.14.060. Section 12.14.070 sets a vehicle impound cost recovery (VICR) fee, equal to one hour of Police Officer time at the current intermediate deputy rate set by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, payable by an owner redeeming an impounded vehicle, though the Police Department may waive it for stolen-vehicle victims or injured/incapacitated drivers. Section 12.14.080 requires franchisees to pay franchise charges set by Council resolution, capped at the City's administrative and enforcement costs, and § 12.14.100 requires franchisees to support the City's vehicle abatement program at no charge and to provide emergency roadside aid to City and Police vehicles within one mile of the City boundary at no cost.