Sarasota, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Article
- Ch. 33, Art. X
- Class A tow max
- $50 flat fee
- Storage cap
- $20/day after 6 hrs
- Immobilization
- Only incident to imminent tow
- Agreement filing
- With city police department
Summary
City of Sarasota wreckers must comply with Chapter 33's towing ordinance and state law before hooking a vehicle, file rate schedules with police, and are barred from immobilizing cars outside a private-property tow.
No person shall carry, tow, or otherwise transport a vehicle for compensation when the point of origin of the tow or transportation is in the city without first complying with the provisions of this article and F.S. § 713 and 715, as amended, unless otherwise specifically provided herein.(b)No person shall immobilize a vehicle except when incident to the imminent towing of vehicle from private property as provided for in this article. (Ord. No. 01-4281, § 1, 12-4-00; Ord. No. 01-4301, § 1, 6-18-01)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33 | Zoning: Supplement 44).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 33-284 requires any wrecker towing a vehicle for compensation that originates in the City of Sarasota to comply with Ch. 33 and F.S. §§ 713 and 715 before the tow, and bars immobilizing a vehicle except incident to an imminent private-property tow. Sec. 33-287 caps non-consent tow rates by vehicle weight class, and Sec. 33-289 requires a written property-owner agreement filed with the city police department, notice of each tow within thirty minutes, and posted current rate schedules on file with police.
Violations & Fines
Towing without a filed police-department agreement, immobilizing outside an authorized tow, or exceeding rate caps violates Ch. 33; the code enforcement special master may impose penalties under Sec. 1-11.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Sarasota wrecker company set its own towing rates?
Must a City of Sarasota tow company notify police after a private-property tow?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sarasota
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Towing Companies in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sarasota County handle towing companies.