Ocala, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Ocala Police Department dispatch/rotation unit
- Clearance rule
- Non-police tow calls must clear through OPD first
- Unauthorized tow penalty
- 30-day suspension, then removal within 3 years
- Storage admin fee cap
- $30 if vehicle stored over 24 hours
- Storage facility location
- Within 5 miles of Ocala city limits
- Appeal window
- 30 days to Ocala City Council
Summary
Ocala Police Department runs a wrecker rotation list under Chapter 75, and any tow call that doesn't come straight from an officer must be cleared through OPD dispatch before the operator moves the vehicle. Operators who solicit business at accident scenes or tow without that clearance face escalating suspensions, and storage and administrative fees are capped by city ordinance.
(h)Wrecker operators shall only respond to accidents or remove vehicles involved in an accident within the city police department's jurisdiction pursuant to a call received directly from a law enforcement agency as set forth in these rules. In the event of a call to a wrecker operator by someone other than a law enforcement agency, such operator shall first clear the call through the city police department before proceeding to the scene. ... (c)Removal of a wrecked, disabled or abandoned vehicle without investigation or clearance by the city police department shall result in 30 days suspension for a first offense and removal for a second or subsequent offense within three years.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 75 of the Ocala Code of Ordinances governs non-consent towing citywide. The chief of police sets the maximum number of wrecker operators admitted to the rotation list and can expand it if service becomes inadequate; applicants submit background checks, driver's license record checks and equipment inspections to Ocala Police Department before being added (Sec. 75-3(b)). Once on the list, operators rotate to the bottom after each call, and the rule at the heart of non-consent towing sits at Sec. 75-3(h): a wrecker may respond only to a call placed directly by a law enforcement agency; if anyone else calls, the operator must first clear that call through OPD dispatch before proceeding to the scene.
"Solicitation," meaning tempting or enticing anyone to use a particular tow service at an accident scene without OPD authority, is separately defined and banned under Sec. 75-2. Vehicle owners can still insist on a specific operator of their choosing, and OPD will honor that request unless it causes unreasonable delay or a traffic hazard (Sec. 75-1(d)). Storage facilities must sit within five miles of the city limits, be fenced and locked, and offer at least 25 spaces including three indoors (Sec. 75-10). Rates for towing and storage are capped by city council resolution, and Sec.
75-9(c) limits the administrative paperwork fee to $30 when a vehicle sits in storage more than 24 hours. Operators who are suspended or removed can appeal to the city council within 30 days, with judicial review only by certiorari to the Marion County circuit court under Sec. 75-8.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 75-7 tiers penalties: chasing wrecks without an OPD call, unlawful solicitation, or missing three calls in a month draw a letter of warning on a first offense, a 30-day suspension for a second offense within three years, and permanent removal from the rotation list for a third offense within five years. Removing a vehicle without OPD investigation or clearance is treated more severely: a 30-day suspension on the first offense and removal for any repeat within three years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a tow company remove my car in Ocala without police approval?
Can I ask for my own tow truck instead of whoever OPD dispatches?
Is there a cap on Ocala towing and storage fees?
How does a wrecker operator appeal removal from Ocala's rotation list?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ocala
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