New Hanover County, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- §§ 23-141 through 23-145
- Availability requirement
- Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
- Minimum liability insurance
- $5,000.00 garage keepers coverage
- Rotation dates
- Jan. 1, Apr. 1, Jul. 1, Oct. 1
- Noncompliance penalty
- Removal from eligible garage list
- Fee source
- Collected from vehicle owner only
Summary
New Hanover County's sheriff's department keeps an eligible list of garages authorized to tow vehicles at law enforcement's request. Sec. 23-142 requires a listed garage to stay open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, keep equipment able to tow any car or medium truck, and maintain covered storage for damaged vehicles, with towing privileges rotated quarterly among the qualified garages.
Sec. 23-142. - Qualifications. Before being placed on the eligible list of garages, the applicant must: (1)Keep his garage available 24 hours per day, seven days a week, for use under this article.(2)Have available at all times equipment in good condition capable of towing any automobile or medium weight truck, regardless of size or weight, from the streets and other public or private places in this county when called upon to do so.(3)At or in the immediate vicinity of his garage have sufficient storage space and facilities to protect from the elements vehicles which might be damaged by exposure and a sufficient amount of additional storage space to store undamaged vehicles.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 15 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
To get on the sheriff's eligible list under Sec. 23-141, a garage must satisfy the three qualifications in Sec. 23-142: round-the-clock, seven-day availability; equipment capable of towing any automobile or medium weight truck from public or private property on call; and enough on-site storage to protect damaged vehicles from the elements plus extra space for undamaged ones. Sec. 00 to cover any loss from its own negligence. Sec. 23-143(7) makes compliance with all of these obligations a condition of staying on the list; a garage that violates the article can be removed.
Sec. 23-144 rotates the towing privilege among eligible garages quarterly, on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1, in the order the garages qualified. Sec. 23-145 also lets the board of county commissioners bypass rotation and award one or more garages an exclusive written contract for towing from public roads and other public places, provided the contract fixes the towing and storage charges and confirms that neither the county nor any municipality in it is liable for damages or charges, which are collected solely from the vehicle owner.
Violations & Fines
The article does not set a monetary fine for a garage; the built-in sanction is loss of business. A garage that fails to keep its 24/7 availability, equipment, storage or insurance under Sec. 23-142 and Sec. 23-143, or otherwise violates the article, is subject to removal from the sheriff's eligible list under Sec. 23-143(7), cutting off its share of the quarterly rotation of law-enforcement-requested tows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a garage get on New Hanover County's towing rotation list?
What insurance must a New Hanover County tow operator carry?
Can New Hanover County give one company exclusive towing rights?
What happens if a listed garage breaks the towing rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Hanover County
Compare New Hanover County to another location·View the North Carolina business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.