Satellite Beach, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Satellite Beach Code § 34-40 makes clear that the city's towing rules sit on top of, not instead of, Florida's chapters 705, 713 and 715 governing removal, storage and liens on vehicles parked without the property owner's consent. Section 34-41 sets the operational floor a wrecker company must clear before it can hold a car for payment. Under subsection (d), any person authorized to tow a vehicle who intends to charge towing and storage costs before letting the owner redeem it must file a complete, current rate sheet with the Satellite Beach Police Department and post an identical schedule at the storage site itself, so an owner can check the posted price against what the department has on file.

Subsection (e) requires that once the police department authorizes release, the tow company must hand the vehicle back to its owner or custodian within one-half hour of the request. The owner or custodian has the right to inspect the vehicle before accepting it back, and the company cannot condition release on a liability waiver covering damage the owner notes at pickup. Every payment must come with a signed receipt bearing the towing company's legal name. Subsection (c) also lets an owner who reaches the scene before the vehicle is hooked up and hauled away reclaim it for no more than half the posted towing rate. Police, fire, rescue, ambulance and other government-owned vehicles are exempt from removal under this section.