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Schaumburg, IL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing chapter
Village Code Ch. 81 (Ord. 25-064, 2025)
Relocator permit fee
$5.00 per tow
Repossessor permit fee
$25.00 per repossession
Tow distance limit
10 air miles from storage lot
First-offense fine
$250, rising to $1,000

Summary

Schaumburg licenses every vehicle relocator and repossessor operating in the village under Chapter 81 of the Village Code, adopted by Ordinance 25-064 in June 2025. Relocators must obtain a police department permit before towing a car off private property, follow strict signage and distance limits, and face a tiered fine schedule that climbs from $250 to $1,000 per violation.

(G)Post signs at locations where the relocator is not authorized to operate or tow beyond a maximum distance. No relocator shall remove any vehicle otherwise in accordance with this chapter more than ten (10) air miles from its location when towed nor shall it post a sign at a location more than ten (10) air miles from the storage lot to which the relocator can relocate vehicles.(H)Relocate vehicles unless the relocation lot is open during certain prescribed hours. No vehicle shall be relocated to a lot which is not open to allow the vehicle owner to retrieve the vehicle within two (2) hours following the tow. ... Any relocator, repossessor, operator, dispatcher or employee of a relocator or repossessor who violates a section of this chapter shall pay a fine. The Village of Schaumburg has a tiered fine schedule for these violations, as follows:(A)A two hundred fifty dollar ($250.00) fine shall be assessed for the first offense;(B)A five hundred dollar ($500.00) fine shall be assessed for the second offense;(C)A seven hundred fifty dollar ($750.00) fine shall be assessed for the third offense; and(D)Subsequent offenses shall be assessed a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00).

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56 Update 1 | Policy Manual: Supplement 20).

Full Breakdown

02). 05(A)-(D)). 05(G)-(H)). 07(A)). 06). 08: $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second, $750 for a third, and $1,000 for each offense after that.

Violations & Fines

A relocator or repossessor who tows without a permit, without proper signage, from an authorized space, or from a lot more than ten air miles away faces a graduated fine under § 81.08: $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second, $750 for a third, and $1,000 for every offense after that. The chief of police can also investigate complaints and suspend a violator's operating permit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Schaumburg tow company take my car from a private lot without asking?
Only with the property owner's written authorization and only if warning signs meeting § 81.06 have been posted at the lot for at least 24 hours. If you are present and willing to move your vehicle immediately, § 81.05(D) bars the tow entirely.
How far can a Schaumburg relocator tow my car?
No more than ten air miles from the location where it was parked, and the storage lot has to be identified on the posted sign and open so you can retrieve the vehicle within two hours of the tow, under § 81.05(G)-(H).
What happens if a towing company breaks Schaumburg's rules?
The company faces the village's tiered fine schedule in § 81.08: $250 for a first violation, $500 for a second, $750 for a third, and $1,000 for every violation after that, on top of any permit suspension by the chief of police.

Sources & Official References

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