Oklahoma City, OK Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Contract award
- City Council, sole discretion
- Minimum fleet
- 8 wreckers, 8 drivers
- Driver requirement
- State DPS wrecker license
- Default penalty
- Class "a" offense, up to $500
- Service standard
- 24-hour dispatcher required
Summary
Oklahoma City requires wrecker companies to hold a City Council-awarded service contract, not just a state license. Council may reject any proposal at its sole discretion, leaving no open-entry system for police-dispatched tows.
(a)City Council may approve a request for proposals for wrecker service and solicit proposals. The Police Department shall review all proposals timely and properly submitted and make recommendations to the City Council... (c)The City Council shall review the recommendations of the Police Department and it shall be within the sole discretion of the City Council to determine which applicants will be awarded contracts with the City. The City Council, in its sole discretion, may reject any or all proposals with or without cause.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 5 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
To run police-dispatched tows in OKC, a company must win a wrecker service contract that City Council awards "in its sole discretion" after Police Department review (§ 58-2). Each driver also needs a current Oklahoma Department of Public Safety wrecker license (§ 58-14). Contractors must staff a minimum of eight wreckers and eight drivers, keep a dispatcher on duty around the clock, secure towed vehicles' steering wheels, and inventory visible personal property before towing (§ 58-10). The Police Department inspects every wrecker for safe operating condition and can pull a noncompliant truck from service (§ 58-9).
Violations & Fines
Towing for the City without a wrecker service contract, driving without the required state and DPS licenses, or failing equipment/inspection standards is a Class "a" offense, fine up to $500 per day, under the Code's default penalty (§ 1-8).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any towing company do OKC police-directed tows?
What happens if a wrecker driver isn't properly licensed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oklahoma City
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Towing Companies in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle towing companies.