Placentia, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- License
- City business license under Chapter 6.04 (§ 6.80.020)
- Sign size
- Not less than 17 by 22 inches
- Sign height
- Four feet to eight feet six inches above ground
- Police notice
- Placentia police department notified before the tow
- Storage
- Nearest public garage (§ 6.80.070)
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, plus license revocation (§ 6.80.100)
Summary
In the City of Placentia, California, a private tow service needs a city business license and can remove a vehicle from private property only on a short list of authorizations. A lot owner who orders a non-consent tow must post the required sign and notify the Placentia Police Department first.
It is unlawful for any private tow service to tow, impound or otherwise remove any vehicle from private property located in the city except as follows: (1) At the request and with the consent of the owner or person in lawful possession Of the vehicle to be removed, or; (2) At the request and direction of a peace officer, as that term is defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code; or any regularly employed and salaried employee of the city who is engaged in directing traffic or enforcing parking laws and regulations, or; (3) At the request of the owner or person in lawful possession of the property from which the vehicle is to be removed, pursuant to Section 22511.8, Removal of Unauthorized Vehicles from Disabled Persons' Designated Parking Areas, or Section 22658(a), Removal from Private Property, of the California Vehicle Code; providing, however, that prior to any such removal the owner or person requesting removal has complied with all of the requirements of Sections 6.80.050 and 6.80.060 of this chapter, or; (4) Pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.80.080 of this chapter.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 6.80 of the Placentia Municipal Code governs private tow services. Section 6.80.020 bars anyone from towing or impounding vehicles from public or private property in the city without a valid business license under Chapter 6.04. Section 6.80.030 allows removal from a highway or public property only at the request and with the consent of the owner or person in lawful possession, or at the request and direction of a peace officer or a salaried city employee directing traffic or enforcing parking laws.
Section 6.80.040 covers private property. A tow is lawful on four grounds: the owner's or possessor's request and consent; a peace officer's or city employee's direction; the property owner's request under California Vehicle Code Section 22511.8 or 22658(a), after complying with Sections 6.80.050 and 6.80.060; or the conditional lease rules of Section 6.80.080. A tenant or lessee with a right to be on the property, parked in violation of private rules, is not treated as in violation of Section 22658(a), and Section 6.80.080 allows a tow only when the lease contains a statement permitting removal as a remedy and the written parking rules were given to each lessee.
Section 6.80.050 requires a sign at each entrance and exit, in a conspicuous place free from obstructions, between four feet and eight feet six inches above ground, not less than 17 by 22 inches, with lettering not less than one inch high. The words Private Property print in red on a white background, followed by the no public parking and tow-away warning. Section 6.80.060 requires notice to the Placentia police department with the authorizing person's name, address and telephone number, the property location, the storage location, the vehicle's license number, model and color, and the reason. If the on-duty watch commander asks, the tow waits until an officer responds. Section 6.80.070 sends the vehicle to the nearest public garage.
Tows ordered by the city itself fall under Chapter 6.76, which requires an official tow service to hold a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the city council.
Violations & Fines
Under Section 6.80.100, every person who wilfully violates any provision of Chapter 6.80 is guilty of a misdemeanor. A violation by an individual owner, employee of the owner, operator or employee of the operator of a private tow service is also just cause for revocation of the tow service's business license. Section 6.80.090 separately requires every person authorizing a removal to meet all legal requirements for notifying the registered and legal owner of the stored vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can order a tow from private property in the City of Placentia?
What sign must a Placentia lot post before towing?
Who must be called before a non-consent tow in Placentia?
What happens to a tow operator who breaks the chapter?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Placentia
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