Collier County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Storage radius
- Within 10 miles of pickup point
- Office/yard location
- Must be inside Collier County
- Drop charge cap
- Half the posted tow rate
- Auto liability minimum
- $300,000-$500,000 combined single limit
- Boot hold period
- 6 hours before towing after boot
- License forfeiture trigger
- 3 violations in 365 days = 60-day suspension
Summary
Collier County requires private-property tow and boot companies to keep an office and storage yard inside the county, store any towed vehicle within ten miles of where it was picked up, and carry $300,000 to $500,000 in auto liability coverage per truck, under the county's Non-Consent Towing Ordinance, Code Secs. 26-227 through 26-233.
(2)Private property impound: Tow truck or immobilization companies may recover, tow, immobilize or remove a vehicle/vessel based upon a private property impound without the prior express instruction of the vehicle/vessel owner or authorized driver, upon the prior express instruction of a real property owner or his authorized agent on whose property the vehicle/vessel is disabled, abandoned or parked without authorization or whose vehicle/vessel owner or authorized agent is unwilling or unable to remove the vehicle/vessel, provided that the requirements of this article are satisfied. All companies providing private property towing and/or immobilization in Collier County must have their storage facility (tow truck companies only) and an office located within the county. Further, any towed or removed vehicle or vessel must be stored at a site within a 10-mile radius of the point of removal within the county boundaries. A person may not pay or accept money or other valuable consideration for the privilege of towing, immobilizing or removing vehicles or vessels from a particular location.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 126 | Land Development Code: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
The Collier County Non-Consent Towing, Private Property Towing, Immobilization and Storage of Vehicles Ordinance (Ord. No. 2008-47, amended 2009-60 and 2010-30) governs any tow from private property done without the vehicle owner's consent. Sec. 26-230(2) requires every company doing private-property towing or immobilization in the county to keep its storage facility and an office inside county boundaries, store the vehicle within a 10-mile radius of where it was removed, and bars anyone from paying or accepting money for the 'privilege' of towing from a particular property, an anti-kickback rule.
Before towing, the company must have a written contract with the property owner naming who can authorize a tow (Sec. 26-230(5)), and warning signage meeting exact size and wording specifications must be posted at every driveway entrance for at least 24 hours before any vehicle is removed (Sec. 26-231). A driver arriving before the car is hooked up must release it for no more than half the posted tow rate, the 'drop charge,' under Sec. 26-231(c). Sec. 26-232(k) sets minimum insurance: $300,000 combined single-limit auto liability for light-duty private-impound-only trucks, $500,000 for all other trucks, plus $50,000 garage-keeper's liability per vehicle and $100,000 per occurrence.
Booting is separately restricted: a boot can only be used by a company licensed in the county, must go on the driver's-side front wheel where feasible, and the vehicle cannot then be towed for at least six hours after the boot goes on (Sec. 26-230(9)).
Violations & Fines
Sec. 26-233 ties penalties to whatever law the specific violation is charged under, including F.S. § 125.69, F.S. ch. 162, or prosecution as a misdemeanor under F.S. § 775.0823. Three or more separate violations by the same towing or immobilization company within 365 days is, per se, grounds to forfeit that company's Collier County occupational license for 60 days, and the sheriff's office is the enforcing agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Collier County towing company store my car outside the county?
How much can I be charged if I show up before my car is towed?
What warning signs must a private lot post before towing?
How much insurance must a Collier County tow truck carry?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Collier County
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