North Charleston, SC Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit fee
- $10 per tow truck/year
- Min liability insurance
- $1M/$2M bodily injury
- Max tow fee (Class A)
- $185 per tow
- Renewal date
- February 1 annually
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 30 days jail
Summary
Wrecker services must hold a city towing permit and decal, carry heavy liability insurance, and follow strict rules for nonconsensual private-property tows.
No towing carrier engaged in the business of performing nonconsensual tows shall operate within the corporate limits of the city without obtaining a towing permit.(b)Every towing company shall have an insurance policy covering the operation of the towing service's business equipment and vehicles for any bodily injury or property damage in any amount of not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) for any one (1) person injured or killed, or two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) for any additional injuries or fatalities in any one (1) traffic collision, as well as two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) coverage for injury or destruction to property including the vehicle being towed. The insurance policy shall also include no less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) Garage Keepers coverage. The City of North Charleston shall be included as a certificate holder and a copy provided to the tow truck coordinator.(c)A towing carrier who operates in violation of this section shall be subject to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500.00), or serve a term not exceeding thirty (30) days in jail, or both.(d)The cost of the permit shall be ten dollars ($10.00) per tow truck or as otherwise set by city council from time to time. This license shall be renewable on February 1 of every year at the same rate of ten dollars ($10.00) per year. Any license under this article may be denied, suspended or revoked for violating any section of this chapter or Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
Any wrecker company performing nonconsensual (private-property) tows in North Charleston needs a towing permit and decal issued with its business license, plus insurance of at least $1,000,000/$2,000,000 for injury and $250,000 for property damage, including $500,000 in garage-keepers coverage. The permit costs $10 per tow truck, renewable each February 1. Operators may only tow when personally summoned by the property owner or police, must proceed directly to the final storage lot, cannot solicit or patrol for tow business, and must release a vehicle owner's personal property without requiring payment first. Nonconsensual tow fees are capped, $185 for standard vehicles, $250 for Class D wreckers, plus limited storage and after-hours charges.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a permit, decal, or required insurance, or violating towing rules, is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both, plus license suspension.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a tow truck come to my property without being called?
What's the maximum a wrecker can charge to tow my car?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Charleston
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Towing Companies in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Charleston County handle towing companies.