Parker, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Authorization required
- Written statement from Mayor or designee
- Notice deadline
- 5 days (TX plate) / 14 days (out-of-state)
- Unclaimed vehicle
- Sold at public auction after 20 days
- Fine for violation
- Up to $500/day, § 71.99(C)
- Underlying offense
- Class C misdemeanor, § 71.02(A)(1)(b)
- Proceeds held
- 90 days before deposit to General Fund
Summary
Parker lets a towing company remove a vehicle without the owner's consent only if the company is under city contract, insured against property damage, and authorized in writing by the Mayor's designee. The ordinance sets strict notice deadlines and an auction process before the company can dispose of an unclaimed vehicle.
(B) Procedure for towing and storing vehicles. (1) A towing company under contract with the city and that is insured against liability for property damages incurred in towing a vehicle, and after receiving authorization from the City Police Department, may, without the consent of an owner or operator of a vehicle, remove and store the vehicle, and any property on or in the vehicle, at a vehicle storage facility at the expense of the owner or operator, if the towing company has received a written statement from the Mayor or his or her designee that: (a) The vehicle is parked in violation of this section; and (b) The owner or operator of the vehicle has received actual notice that the vehicle is in violation of this section, or a conspicuous notice has been attached to the vehicle for the required period of time in compliance with division (A)(2) of this section.
Full Breakdown
02(A) (display for sale visible from a thoroughfare) and that required notice was already given to the owner or posted on the windshield. The company must be under contract with the city and insured against property-damage liability before acting on the Police Department's authorization. Once the vehicle is in custody, the company must mail certified notice, return receipt requested, no later than the fifth calendar day for a Texas-registered vehicle or the fourteenth day for an out-of-state vehicle, describing the vehicle, where and when it was towed, that the city authorized the tow, the fee amount, and that the vehicle will be declared abandoned if unclaimed after 20 days.
Newspaper publication substitutes for mailed notice when the owner cannot be identified. Owners keep the protections of Tex. Transp. Code Ch. 685, which the section incorporates by reference. If fees go unpaid for 20 days after notice, the owner and lienholder waive their interest and the city-contracted company may sell the vehicle at public auction, taking reimbursement first for auction costs, towing, storage, preservation and notice expenses. The purchaser takes clear title and receives a sale receipt from the City Police Department. Leftover proceeds are held by the city for 90 days for the owner or lienholder before reverting to the General Fund.
Violations & Fines
Parking a vehicle for sale in violation of § 71.02(A)(1) is a Class C misdemeanor, and § 71.99(C) makes any violation of § 71.02 punishable by a fine of up to $500, with each day the violation continues charged as a separate offense. A towing company that acts outside the contract-and-authorization framework, or skips the certified-mail notice deadlines, is not operating under the ordinance's non-consent tow authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a towing company tow my car in Parker without my consent?
How will I find out my vehicle was towed?
What happens if I never reclaim my towed vehicle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Parker
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