New Orleans, LA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Fee cap authority
- LA PSC non-consensual towing tariff
- Hearing request window
- 10 calendar days of notice
- First-offense fine
- $100–$500
- Enforcing agency
- NOPD towing and recovery unit
Summary
New Orleans caps non-consent tow fees at the Louisiana Public Service Commission's mandatory tariff and gives vehicle owners a ten-day right to an administrative hearing before NOPD's towing and recovery unit to challenge the tow.
The maximum charges or fees for emergency towing by a vehicle owner or operator using the towing allocation list, and for towing performed without the knowledge and consent of the owner or operator of a vehicle, shall be set in accordance with the mandatory tariff schedule set forth by the Louisiana Public Service Commission Schedule of Prescribed Rates and Requirements for Non-Consensual Towing and Recovery Services. ... The owner of any vehicle towed through a towing service obtained from the NOPD towing allocation list without the knowledge and consent of the owner or operator shall have the right to an administrative hearing pursuant to the Louisiana Administrative Procedures Act, R.S. 45:95 et seq. ... The owner of the vehicle must make a request for such hearing within ten calendar days of the date the owner receives notification by the towing business/storage facility.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 116 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Under City Code § 162-1016, when a vehicle is towed "without the knowledge and consent of the owner or operator," the towing company cannot set its own price, maximum charges must follow the Louisiana Public Service Commission's Schedule of Prescribed Rates and Requirements for Non-Consensual Towing and Recovery Services. S. 14:64 through 14:69) owe nothing for the towing, recovery, or storage of a stolen vehicle. " Every towing company on NOPD's towing allocation list must also give redeemers a consecutively numbered invoice under § 162-1014 listing the date of service, the operator's name, the requesting police agency if any, and, for a private-party call, the requester's full name, address, and driver's license or other permanent ID. Vehicles may not be diverted to any location other than the company's approved storage facility without owner, operator, or NOPD authorization (§ 162-1031).
Violations & Fines
Failing to comply with §§ 162-1010 through 162-1016 is a municipal-court offense: a fine of $100 to $500 for a first violation in a year, $250 to $500 plus 60 hours of roadside litter-collection community service (and up to six months in jail) for a second, and $400 to $500 per violation plus 90 community-service hours (and up to six months in jail per violation) for three or more (§ 162-1033). A conviction also bars the company from the NOPD towing allocation list for one year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a New Orleans towing company charge whatever it wants for a non-consent tow?
How do I challenge a non-consensual tow in New Orleans?
Do crime victims have to pay towing fees on a recovered stolen vehicle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Orleans
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