North Hempstead, NY Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Town Code Chapter 55 licenses tow trucks and their drivers separately: owners pay a $60 nonrefundable fee for a restricted license (normal towing only, no accident scenes) or an unrestricted license (accident-scene work, requiring a staffed 24-hour terminal, specified rescue equipment, and a six-foot fenced, self-locking storage yard), and licenses expire every June 30 unless renewed. For towing unauthorized vehicles off private lots, § 55-40 requires the property owner or authorized agent to first file a written towing agreement with the local police precinct covering rates, tow location, and license copies, and to post conspicuous signs at every entrance naming the tow company and phone number and stating where a car can be recovered.

Beyond the standing paperwork, § 55-40(C) and (D) require contemporaneous, individual authorization before each tow: no vehicle may be removed without direction from the property owner or agent given at the time of that specific tow, and soliciting towing work while on private property is separately prohibited. The operator must log the authorizing person, time, tow location, and the vehicle's make, model and plate at the time of the tow, keep that log for a year, and produce it to the Town Clerk on request.

Within one hour of removal the operator must notify the police precinct with jurisdiction, then follow up in writing within 90 minutes with the storage site, removal time and location, authorizing person's name, vehicle description, and proof of a valid Town license. If the registered owner reaches the vehicle before it is fully removed, the operator must disconnect it on payment of the Fee Schedule's service charge and let the owner drive away without interference, and must carry a copy of § 55-40(F) to show that owner. A vehicle may never be towed while occupied or if removal risks physical harm to a person.