Lee County, AL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Section 45-41-210 of the Lee County local acts governs non-consent towing and wheel-locking everywhere in the county except inside the City of Auburn, which regulates towing under its own ordinance per subsection (d). Any vehicle left on private property without the express or implied permission of the owner, lessee, or their agent is an abandoned vehicle that may be towed to a secure location or wheel-locked, but only if the lot is posted under the specifications in subsection (b). The notice must sit at each driveway or curb cut within five feet of the public right-of-way, or every 25 feet of frontage where there is no curb; general wording must appear in light-reflective letters at least two inches tall, while the phrase Tow Away Zone, Wheel Lock Zone, or both must appear in letters at least four inches tall.

The sign must also list the name and current phone number of the towing or wheel-lock contractor if one is under contract, sit with its bottom at least four feet off the ground, and stay up for at least 24 hours before any vehicle is removed or locked. Once a vehicle is towed or locked, the property owner, lessee, or agent has 24 hours to give the county or municipal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction written notice of the action. The party doing the removal or locking holds a lien on the vehicle and may charge a reasonable fee for removal, wheel-locking, and storage.

Inside Auburn, subsection (d) instead lets the Auburn City Council set its own towing and wheel-lock charges and procedures by ordinance adopted at a public meeting.