Rochester, NY Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Annual, from Chief of Police
- Annual license fee
- $350 ($10 replacement)
- License expires
- August 31 each year
- Non-consent tow fee cap
- $160 (cars, pickups, vans, motorcycles)
- Free storage window
- First 24 hours
- Release fee if hooked up
- Max $25
- Retrieval hours required
- 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily
Summary
No one may run a towing company or operate a tow truck for hire in Rochester without an annual license from the Chief of Police. Non-consent tows from private lots are capped at $160 for cars, pickups, vans and motorcycles, with strict signage, release-fee and record-keeping rules on top.
No person shall tow, remove, impound or otherwise disturb any motor vehicle other than an abandoned vehicle as defined in § 1224 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law, without permission of the vehicle owner, from privately owned property in the City of Rochester, other than property which is solely residential and contains fewer than five residential units, unless there is posted on the property a sign at each entrance... In no event shall a towing company charge a fee in excess of $160 for towing, without permission of the vehicle owner, of passenger vehicles, including cars, pickup trucks and passenger vans, or motorcycles or minibikes, from privately owned property in the City.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4935326; v86 updated 2026-06-16; through 06-16-2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 108A-2 requires a towing company license before operating in Rochester; § 108A-5 sets the annual fee at $350 ($10 to replace a lost license), and § 108A-6 expires all licenses August 31 each year. Applicants file with the Chief of Police under § 108A-3, listing owners, operators, storage location, all towing vehicles and every fee charged; premises must pass zoning, building, fire and property-maintenance inspection. 5 inches high, plus one extra sign per 50 spaces over 50. Subsection B caps the fee at $160 for passenger vehicles, pickups, vans, motorcycles and minibikes, bars mileage or 'additional person' charges, limits storage fees to the City Auto Pound rate under § 111-72G, and waives storage for the first 24 hours.
), and take cash or major credit/debit cards. Under Subsection D, an owner who arrives before the vehicle is hooked up takes it free; one already hooked up is released for no more than $25. Subsection C bars towing a non-consent vehicle outside city limits, and Subsection F bans placing a boot on a private vehicle (except at colleges and hospitals). Companies must notify the Rochester Police Department immediately of every non-consent tow and keep towing records, including fees itemized, for at least three years under § 108A-4(J).
Violations & Fines
The Chief of Police may deny, suspend or revoke a towing company license, or issue it conditionally, under §§ 108A-8 and 108A-3; § 108A-9 applies Chapter 68's licensing procedures and makes violations subject to the penalties in § 13A-11 of the Municipal Code, enforced through the Municipal Code Violations Bureau.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Rochester towing company charge more than $160 for a non-consent tow?
What happens if I reach my car before the tow truck finishes hooking it up?
Does Rochester require signs before a lot can tow unauthorized cars?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rochester
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