Monroe County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- Monroe County Code § 25-7
- Insurance
- $500,000 combined single limit per truck
- Storage radius
- 15 miles (30 if none closer)
- Rate cap
- same as § 25-4 wrecker schedule
- Penalty
- up to $500 fine, 60 days jail
Summary
Tow companies that remove vehicles or vessels from private or public property in the unincorporated Florida Keys without the owner's consent operate under Monroe County's Nonconsensual Private Towing Services Ordinance. Monroe County Code § 25-7 caps rates at the wrecker fee schedule, sets equipment, insurance, and notice rules, and lets the county attorney sue in circuit court to stop violations.
(c)Purpose. The purpose of this section is to regulate nonconsensual tows consistent with federal and state laws and to create a mechanism for the establishment of maximum permissible rates which may be charged for the towing and storage of motor vehicles/vessels by private persons not acting at the behest of local, county, state, or federal government and without the consent of the owner when such vehicles/vessels are located on private or public land. ... (2)Persons who provide services pursuant to this section shall not charge in excess of the maximum allowable rates established by the board. No person providing services pursuant to this section shall charge any type of fee other than the rates the board has specifically established. ... (2)It shall be unlawful for any person or entity to violate or fail to comply with any provision of this section. Any such violation shall be punishable in accordance with section 1-8 of the Monroe County Code of Ordinances, including a fine of not more than $500.00 or a term of imprisonment not to exceed 60 days or both a fine and term of imprisonment.
Full Breakdown
07. 00 in garage keeper's liability coverage. 00 base rate for a Class A tow, storage fees, an administration fee, and mileage. Before a vehicle owner arrives to redeem a vehicle, the tow company must disclose by phone the documents needed, the exact charges, accepted payment methods, and business hours; it must accept cash, money order, or a bank card; and it cannot store the vehicle more than 15 miles from where it was picked up (30 miles if no company operates within 15 miles).
Every nonconsent tow off private property must be based on a written contract with the property owner naming who can authorize a tow, and the company must notify local law enforcement within 30 minutes of completing a private-property tow. 00, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing rate violation counted as a separate offense, and the county attorney may also seek an injunction in the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit.
Violations & Fines
Charging more than the board-set maximum rate, storing a towed vehicle beyond the 15-mile (or 30-mile) radius, towing from private property without a written property-owner contract, or refusing to respond in writing within ten business days to a law enforcement or county attorney inquiry each violate § 25-7 and are punishable by a fine of up to $500.00, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with continuing rate violations counted daily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Monroe County tow company charge whatever it wants for a nonconsensual tow?
How far away can a Keys tow company store a towed vehicle?
Does a Keys tow company need a written contract to tow from private property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monroe County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Monroe County to another location·View the Florida business licensing & operations overview
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