Ridgewood, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Village Code Ch. 258, Ord. No. 2463
- Required response time
- 20 minutes of dispatch
- Minimum liability coverage
- $1,000,000 CGL and auto
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine or 90 days jail
- Suspension for noncompliance
- up to 30 days, or 12 months repeat
- Investigative tow discount
- 60% off standard rate
Summary
Village of Ridgewood Code Chapter 258 governs police-directed towing in the Village of Ridgewood, Bergen County, New Jersey, setting rotational dispatch, insurance and fee rules for approved towing operators handling abandoned, disabled, illegally parked, stolen or accident vehicles removed without the owner's advance consent.
§ 258-2. Purpose and intent. The purpose and intent of this chapter is to provide criteria and standard operating procedures that are reasonable, nonexclusionary and nondiscriminatory in the selection and use of towing operators, on a rotational basis, in providing towing, road services and the storage of vehicles, including but not limited to the towing of vehicles that are abandoned, disabled, illegally parked or stolen, vehicles involved in accidents and/or those vehicles suspected or identified by the Village as being involved in criminal activities. ... § 258- ... 7. Removal and storage of vehicles; fees. A. The fees set forth in Chapter 145, Fees, for towing and storage rates are the maximum permitted charges that shall apply to the towing and/or storage of passenger automobiles or other vehicles.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4854397; v35 updated 2026-04-22; through 04-22-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 258, adopted 5-9-1994 by Ord. No. 2463, requires the Village Manager, on the Chief of Police's recommendation, to approve towing operators for a rotational duty service list covering the Village. Approved operators must carry $1,000,000 combined comprehensive general liability and $1,000,000 combined automobile liability coverage, $50,000 garagekeepers limits per vehicle, and a $2,000,000 umbrella policy, naming the Village as additional insured (Sec. 258-5A). A dispatched operator must reach the scene within 20 minutes of the Police Department's call or forfeit the rotation slot to the next operator (Sec.
258-6J). The owner of a vehicle involved in an accident retains the right to name a towing operator of his or her own choosing instead of the rotation pick (Sec. 258-6L), and no operator may remove a vehicle from an accident or crime scene without a police officer's prior approval (Sec. 258-6N). Towing and storage rates fixed in Chapter 145, Fees, are hard maximums; operators must hand the motorist a written fee schedule before towing and may not add night, weekend or holiday premiums (Sec.
258-7A, B, F(2)). m. (Sec. 258-7C). Police-directed investigative tows are billed at a 60% discount off the standard rate (Sec. 258-7F(8)). Motorists may file a complaint form, carried on every tow truck, with the Department of Police (Sec. 258-10). The Chief of Police can suspend a noncompliant operator from the rotation list for up to 30 days, or permanently for 12 months on a repeat violation, subject to an appeal filed with the Clerk within 10 business days (Sec. 258-11A).
Violations & Fines
Willful violation of Chapter 258 is punishable, upon conviction, by a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to 90 days, or both, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense (Sec. 258-12). The Police Department is the designated enforcement office, and the Chief of Police may additionally suspend or permanently remove a noncompliant operator from the rotational duty list (Sec. 258-11).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pick my own tow truck after a crash in Ridgewood?
How fast must a rotation tow operator respond in Ridgewood?
Are Ridgewood tow companies allowed to charge extra for a night or weekend tow?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ridgewood
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