Lower Merion, PA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Lower Merion Township Code § 145-75 makes it unlawful for any towing service to remove a vehicle parked or left unattended on private property without the property owner's consent unless the operator holds a license issued by the Lower Merion Township Police Department. The license is renewed annually, costs a fee set under Chapter A167 (Fees), and requires an application form disclosing the company's name and address, every owner with an interest in the business, every property owner it is authorized to tow from, and its storage yard address.

Licensed operators must carry a $10,000 corporate surety bond, certificates of insurance ($500,000 combined single limit, $100,000 per personal injury, $50,000 garage-keepers' liability), notify the Police Department of any private-property tow within two hours with the vehicle's description and license number, and display the company name and phone number on both sides of the tow truck. If a hooked vehicle's owner or operator returns before it is removed from the property, the operator may charge no more than a flat $85 hooking fee and must release the car.

Private lots must post a sign at least three feet by two feet at every entrance naming the towing agency, its phone number, and the all-inclusive towing and storage fee, plus smaller signs (18 by 12 inches) posted roughly one per four spaces or per a Police-approved site plan. The Superintendent of Police may revoke a license for up to two years for a violation, appealable to the Board of Commissioners' Police Committee.