Baltimore County, MD Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Baltimore County Code § 21-16-103 requires a license from the Department before a company may engage in trespass towing, defined in § 21-16-101(j) as removing a vehicle from a parking lot or garage for a fee. A trespass towing license costs a $100 non-refundable examination fee plus $150 for the license itself, renewable annually for $150 under § 21-16-104(a). Licensees must maintain secured, fenced storage for at least ten vehicles and carry liability insurance of $100,000 per individual, $300,000 per occurrence and $100,000 in property damage coverage under § 21-16-105.

Before any tow, § 21-16-116 requires signs at least 24 inches high and 30 inches wide, posted at every entrance and at least one for every 7,500 square feet of parking, disclosing the tow destination, the 24/7 reclaim policy, the maximum charge, and a reclaiming phone number. Section 21-16-117 caps the tow destination at 10 miles from the lot. Section 21-16-118 bars charging more than the Department-approved fee or more than $8 a day for storage, requires notifying county police within one business day (and again if unclaimed after 72 hours), bans using 'spotters' to flag vehicles, and forbids paying the property owner any kickback.

An owner who returns before the vehicle leaves the lot pays only half the approved fee, and a tower may not lift a vehicle with anyone still inside it. Section 21-16-119 requires immediate delivery to a lit storage facility with round-the-clock reclaiming and bars storage charges for the first 12 hours after a non-consensual tow. Every towing receipt must state that trespass towing is regulated under Article 21, Title 16, and list the Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections' complaint line.