Santa Rosa, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

6 and tows of vehicles whose drivers are arrested, detained, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to drive. 010(A) lets the City Council grant, renew, or extend a franchise to one or more tow operators for a term of no more than five years, and no franchise takes effect except by Council resolution incorporating an agreement with the operator. Applicants must submit their business identity (or, for a partnership or corporation, its partners, officers, directors, and major stockholders), a completed Police Department vehicle tow services agreement, and any supplemental information the Council requests.

The Council decides in its sole discretion whether granting a franchise serves the public interest, weighing the applicant's ability to provide prompt, efficient service, its compliance history, financial condition, and experience. Franchises need not be exclusive: the City can grant identical or different franchises to multiple operators for all or part of the City. 010(F) lets the Council require a franchise fee, set by resolution, to cover the cost of the police tow program, on top of other applicable taxes and charges. 020 reserves the City's right to regulate rates and charges, demand reports and access to the franchisee's books and records, and to terminate or forfeit a franchise for breach of its terms.