Milwaukee, WI Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Service order form
- Required before hook-up
- Photo retention
- 90 days, unaltered
- Police notice
- Required before towing
- Receipt to city
- Within 60 days
Summary
Milwaukee licensed tow operators must use signed service order forms, photograph towed vehicles, and get police-confirmed tow reference numbers before non-consensual tows.
NON-CONSENSUAL TOWING. All of the following requirements shall be met for a towing business to perform a non-consensual tow: The licensee shall have in his or her possession an authorized service order form before hooking up the vehicle to be serviced... The towing business shall take, and retain unaltered for 90 days, color photographs of the motor vehicle to be towed... the towing business shall receive and record... a tow reference number from the city confirming... the vehicle to be towed is not stolen.
Full Breakdown
Under Milwaukee Code of Ordinances Ch. 93, a licensed towing business performing a non-consensual (private-property) tow must hold a signed authorized service order form before hooking up the vehicle, confirm the lot is properly posted, and take color photographs of the vehicle and posting sign, retained unaltered for 90 days. Before towing, the operator must electronically notify the police department with the vehicle's description and pickup/drop-off locations, then log a police-issued tow reference number confirming the vehicle isn't reported stolen. Operators also remit a per-tow fee to the city and, within 60 days, provide an itemized electronic receipt.
Violations & Fines
Towing without a service order form, skipping the required photographs, or hooking a vehicle without first obtaining a police tow reference number violates Ch. 93 and can support license suspension or revocation by the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Milwaukee tow company tow my car from private property without asking me first?
How long must a Milwaukee tow operator keep photos of a non-consensual tow?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Milwaukee
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Towing Companies in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Milwaukee County handle towing companies.