Miami Beach, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required for
- Non-consent towing from private property (Sec. 106-264)
- Minimum liability insurance
- $300,000 injury / $300,000 property damage
- In-city storage window
- First 48 hours
- Storage distance after 48 hrs
- Within 5 miles (or 20 if none within 5)
- Escalating fines
- $100 / $250 / $500 for 1st/2nd/3rd offense
- Misdemeanor exposure
- Up to 60 days jail and/or $500 fine
- Permit expiration
- Annually, September 30
Summary
A towing business must hold a city permit under chapter 106, article VI before removing any vehicle from private property without the owner's consent, must comply with F.S. Sec. 715.07, carry at least $300,000 in liability insurance, and follow strict storage, signage, and record rules or face escalating fines and license revocation.
Any person engaged in the business of towing or removing vehicles shall comply with all the requirements and standards imposed by F.S. § 715.07. ... No business enterprise shall engage in the business of recovering, towing, removing and storing of vehicles parked on private real property and parked without the permission of the owner of the private real property unless such business enterprise shall first apply for and obtain, and subsequently maintain in unrevoked status, a permit issued pursuant to this article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 98 | Resiliency Code (Current Land Development Regulations): Publication | Ordinance 89-2665 (Previous Land Development Regulations): Publication).
Full Breakdown
Sec. S. Sec. 07, and Sec. 106-264(a) separately bars a business enterprise from recovering, towing, removing, or storing a vehicle parked without permission on private property unless it first obtains and maintains a city permit under article VI, a requirement distinct from any occupational license. Sec. 106-263 requires at least $300,000 in liability coverage for injury to any one person and $300,000 for property damage per accident, naming the city as an additional insured. Sec. S. Sec. 07, or a vehicle parked more than 48 hours without authorization.
Sec. 106-268 bars a permitted enterprise from towing without individualized, signed written authorization from the property owner, from towing an occupied vehicle, and requires detailed trip records naming the vehicle, time, location, and the property owner who authorized the tow. Storage under Sec. 106-268(5) must be within the city for the first 48 hours, then within a five-mile radius of removal (or 20 miles if no towing business operates within five miles). Permits expire every September 30 and are issued by the city manager after a background check confirming no recent permit revocations tied to the applicant's officers or partners, per Sec. 106-266.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 106-270 imposes fines of $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second, and $500 for a third and each subsequent offense, with the city able to revoke the business license after a fourth offense and seek injunctive relief. A violation is also a misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days imprisonment, a fine up to $500, or both. Unpaid penalties become a special assessment lien on the violator's property, and an aggrieved permit applicant or violator has ten days to appeal a denial, revocation, or suspension to the city manager.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Miami Beach towing company need a city permit to tow from a private lot?
How much insurance must a Miami Beach towing company carry?
How long can a Miami Beach towing company hold my car before moving it far away?
What are the penalties for an unpermitted or non-compliant tow in Miami Beach?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami Beach
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