Portsmouth, VA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Under Chapter 37, Article IV of the Portsmouth City Code, any tow truck operator who wants dispatch calls from the police department for accidents or traffic hazards must apply to the chief of police to be listed in the city's tow book, paying a processing fee set in Appendix A. The chief of police maintains the register and calls operators in sequence: after a job (or after being unable to respond), an operator drops to the bottom of the rotation, and a first-time registrant starts at the bottom.

Section 37-250 fixes hard dollar caps on what a wrecker company can bill. For vehicles with a GVWR up to 8,800 pounds the maximum towing fee is $200.00; for GVWR between 8,800 and 18,000 pounds it is $350.00; for GVWR of 18,000 pounds or more it is $575.00. A call needing more than one wrecker cannot have each truck charge above these single-wrecker caps. Storage fees may only start accruing 24 hours after the tow, capped at $50.00 per day for vehicles under 18,000 GVWR and $70.00 per day at or above that weight. Additional charges for unusual circumstances (dolly use, extrication from mud, water, a tree or utility pole, righting an overturned vehicle) cannot exceed $85.00 per hour plus the initial fee.

Operators must also display their business name and address or phone number on both sides of the tow truck in letters at least one inch tall (Sec. 37-247), and must notify the police dispatcher of a vehicle's license plate, VIN, make, model, and color before or during any removal (Sec. 37-248); failing to report is a traffic infraction carrying up to a $100.00 fine and limits the storage charge to one day. The chief of police can suspend or remove an operator from the tow book for violating these rules, after giving notice and a chance to respond, and separately maintains distinct daytime and night/weekend/holiday rotation lists.