Lakewood, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Sets specs
- Chief of Police, City Manager approval
- Owner notice
- Mailed within 24 hours of impound
- Admin fee
- $100.00 before redemption
- Appeal deadline
- 15 days to Municipal Court
- Governing section
- LMC 10.28.020
Summary
Lakewood, Washington's Chief of Police, under LMC 10.28.020, sets the specifications towing companies must follow when they tow and store vehicles impounded by Lakewood police in Pierce County, subject to City Manager approval. Tow contractors handling these impounds must also notify owners within 24 hours, and impounded owners pay a $100.00 administrative fee plus towing and storage costs before redemption.
The Chief of Police is authorized to prepare specifications for towing and storage of vehicles, including instructions to towing companies, containing such provisions as the Chief of Police shall deem advisable and not in conflict with this chapter. The specifications shall be subject to the review and approval of the City Manager.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 852, passed June 15, 2026).
Full Breakdown
28; those specifications must be reviewed and approved by the City Manager before taking effect. 040, the tow contractor must mail notice to the vehicle's last known legal and registered owner within 24 hours of impoundment, listing the tow firm's name, address, and phone number, where and when the vehicle was impounded, the length of the impound, and the owner's right to redeem the vehicle or request a hearing. 00 administrative fee, deposited with the Lakewood Finance Department, before the vehicle is released, and if the driver was the registered owner, any outstanding fines must also be satisfied first.
050, with a filing fee matching Pierce County District Court's. This towing-company oversight sits inside the chapter governing impoundment of vehicles driven by suspended-license drivers, not a general towing business license, so it applies to the tow contractors Lakewood's police department retains for these impounds specifically.
Violations & Fines
Towing companies that fail to follow the Chief of Police's approved specifications, or the notice requirements in LMC 10.28.040, expose the City to liability for improper impoundment, and an administrative hearings officer who finds the towing, storage, or special fees improper can order the City to reimburse the vehicle owner for any overpayment. Vehicle owners who skip the required $100.00 administrative fee cannot redeem their vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who regulates towing companies used for Lakewood police impounds?
How much does it cost to get a car back after a Lakewood police tow?
Can I appeal a Lakewood impound decision?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
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Towing Companies in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle towing companies.