Boone County, KY Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing
- no county towing-company license required
- Non-consent tow trigger
- 3rd ticket in 365 days
- Release requirement
- Sheriff approval plus paid towing/storage fees
- Payment/hearing window
- 14 calendar days from citation
- Unclaimed vehicle
- escheats to county after 90 days
Summary
Boone County doesn't license towing companies, but County Code § 71.15 sets the rules a towing service must follow when a Sheriff's officer orders a non-consent tow from a public road, right-of-way or county-maintained lot in the unincorporated county, plus the conditions the owner must meet to get a towed vehicle released.
§ 71.15 TOWING/ STORAGE AND RELEASE OF VEHICLE. (A) An officer is authorized to have a towing service remove any vehicle to a storage facility when: (1) There is reason to believe that the location where a vehicle is parked or left standing, constitutes a public nuisance or a threat to the public health, safety or welfare; or (2) A third ticket involving the same vehicle has been issued within a consecutive 365-day period; or (3) A second ticket involving the same vehicle has been issued for the same offense within a 48-hour period... (B) The vehicle shall be released from the storage facility to the owner or other person proving sufficient proof of right to take possession of the vehicle, upon approval of the Sheriff's Department and payment of all towing and/or storage charges.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-28: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance 2025-20, passed 6-17-25; and State legislation current through KRS 2025).
Full Breakdown
15 controls when a Boone County Sheriff's Deputy acting as officer may call one in without the owner's consent. 10. 15(B). 16 gives the owner 14 calendar days from the citation to either pay the civil penalty and towing or storage charges in full, or request a hearing in writing before the Parking Violation Hearing Board through the County Judge/Executive's Office at 2950 Washington Street, Burlington. Civil penalties go to the Boone Fiscal Court's general fund; towing and storage fees go straight to the towing company itself.
19 requires certified-mail notice to the owner, and after 90 more unpaid days the vehicle is deemed abandoned and escheats to the county. These rules apply only to unincorporated Boone County and to lots the county shares with the City of Union and the City of Walton.
Violations & Fines
There's no separate towing-company penalty; the underlying parking citation carries the § 71.99 civil penalty of $30 for a first or second offense within 365 days and $60 for a third or later offense, up to $500 if contested and lost. The vehicle owner separately owes the towing service's full towing and storage bill before release under § 71.15(B), regardless of how the citation itself is resolved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Boone County license or permit towing companies?
When can my car be towed without my consent in Boone County?
How do I get my car back after a non-consent tow in Boone County?
What happens if I never pick up my towed vehicle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boone County
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