Lakewood, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- License term
- 1 year, not transferable
- Minimum wrecker rating
- 4-ton capacity
- Police-call response time
- Within 15 minutes
- 1st offense penalty
- 1-week suspension
- 3rd offense penalty
- License revocation
- Enforcement authority
- Chief of Police
Summary
Lakewood Township requires a Police Department-vetted towing license before any wrecker operator can work police-called or non-consent tows. Code § 4-6 sets equipment standards, a posted rate schedule, a 15-minute response benchmark, and a graduated suspension schedule for violations.
No towing operator shall operate within the Township of Lakewood without obtaining a towing license in accordance with the provisions of this section in addition to any other licenses required under Township of Lakewood ordinances, except as is otherwise provided herein. Towing operators shall arrive at the scene to which they are dispatched within a reasonable time after being dispatched. Under normal circumstances, such reasonable time limit is defined as within 15 minutes of receipt of the call, weather permitting.
Full Breakdown
Township of Lakewood Code § 4-6.3 makes it unlawful to operate as a towing operator in Lakewood without a license approved by the Township Committee, limited to one license per person or business. Applications require photographs of the vehicles, registrations, insurance and a secured storage yard (§ 4-6.3d). Licensed operators must equip at least one four-ton wrecker with a 100-foot, 3/8-inch cable and a full safety kit, plus one flatbed with a one-car capacity (§ 4-6.5). Operators dispatched by police must arrive within a 'reasonable time,' defined under normal circumstances as within 15 minutes of the call (§ 4-6.8j), and must clean accident debris from the scene before leaving (§ 4-6.8g).
The Chief of Police is the designated enforcement authority (§ 4-6.8e) and maintains a weekly rotating duty list of licensed wreckers (§ 4-6.8x). Every operator must give the vehicle owner a written, itemized bill and post the Township's fee schedule at the place of business and in the Traffic Safety Office (§ 4-6.11). Towing police vehicles costs a flat $150 within the Township, and roadside tire changes for police vehicles cost $125 (§ 4-6.8c-d). Licenses run for one year (§ 4-6.7) and are not transferable except to a family member continuing the business (§ 4-6.10).
Violations & Fines
The Chief of Police can suspend a wrecker's license for safety or rules violations on a graduated schedule: a first offense draws a one-week suspension, a second offense a two-week suspension, and a third offense triggers revocation pending a Township Committee hearing (§ 4-6.8y). The Township Committee can independently suspend or revoke any license for good cause after written complaint and a hearing (§ 4-6.9).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do towing companies need a special Lakewood license to do police-called tows?
How fast must a Lakewood tow operator respond to a police dispatch?
What happens if a licensed tower repeatedly violates the rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
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Towing Companies in Nearby Cities
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