Shreveport, LA Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 102-140, Code of Ordinances
- Permit fee
- $10.00 per tow truck, per year
- Inspection fee
- $25.00 per vehicle
- Rotation list fee
- $50.00 to maintain the list
- Criminal check fee
- $50.00 per owner investigated
- Permit expires
- 11:59 p.m., January 31 each year
- Disqualifying record
- Auto theft, fraud, stolen vehicle charges
Summary
Any towing company that wants a spot on Shreveport's police rotational list needs a tow truck permit under section 102-140(a), issued separately for each vehicle and good for one year. Permits run $10.00 per truck plus separate fees for inspection, rotation-list maintenance and a criminal background check, and every permit expires at 11:59 p.m. on January 31 no matter when it was issued.
In order to be placed on the city's rotational list a person must first obtain a tow truck permit from the city. Each towing company shall be permitted as a separate entity. ... Permits shall be issued for a period not exceeding one year and shall expire at 11:59 p.m., January 31, each year.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 Update 1 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Section 102-140 requires any tow truck operator seeking a spot on the city's rotational list, the queue the police department calls down for no-preference tows, to hold a permit issued separately for each vehicle; permits are nontransferable and a change in vehicle or company ownership cancels the permit outright. Anyone convicted of, currently indicted for, or facing formally filed charges for auto theft, unauthorized use of a vehicle, vehicle insurance fraud, burglary of a vehicle, drug distribution, or possession of stolen vehicles or parts cannot be issued a permit under section 102-140(d), and a permittee who knowingly keeps employing someone with that history risks having the permit denied, suspended or revoked.
00 to investigate each owner's criminal record. Applicants have to show their business and storage facility sit in Caddo Parish, carry a current city occupational license, hold the insurance required by section 102-158, and list every driver's name, birth date, address and license number. on January 31 regardless of issue date, with renewal applications due by January 15 under section 102-143.
Violations & Fines
The chief of police can deny, suspend or revoke a permit and must notify the applicant in writing within 15 days of the application. A denial or revocation affirmed by the city council, or one the applicant doesn't appeal, bars a new application for a full year under section 102-145. Separately, section 102-145.1 lets the chief pull a company off the rotational list for up to 30 days on a first no-show to a dispatched call, 30 days to six months on a second, and permanently on a third.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Shreveport tow truck permit cost?
Can a criminal record disqualify a tow truck permit?
What happens if a tow company skips a dispatched call?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shreveport
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