Southampton Village, NY Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Section 103-1 makes it unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to operate for hire a truck or other motor vehicle designed to tow and capable of towing other motor vehicles within the Village of Southampton unless the Village Clerk has issued a license first. The one carve-out is for tow truck operators from outside the Village, who can enter to remove a motor vehicle from any garage without a license.

Applicants file a form with the Village Clerk listing the name and business address, the age and residence address of a natural person, the registration number of the tow truck, and the amount of liability and property damage insurance with the insurer and policy number (§ 103-2). A business can hold a license for each tow truck it operates. The fee in § 103-3 is $10 for each license or renewal, and one license covers only one tow truck. After an investigation the Clerk issues or denies the license, and can deny it where issuance would not be for the general welfare of the public (§ 103-4). Each side of a licensed truck must carry the owner's name and address and the license number in letters not less than three inches high (§ 103-5). Every license expires on the first day of March following issuance and is not transferable from one operator to another (§ 103-6).

Two conduct rules apply on the street. Section 103-7 bars towing away a vehicle involved in an accident without the prior consent of the owner or operator or of the police officer at the scene, and no vehicle leaves the scene while the officer requires an examination of the damaged vehicle or photographs and diagrams. Section 103-8 bars driving along any public street to solicit towing work and soliciting at the scene of any accident.

For police calls, an operator pays an additional $100 each year to request a place on the approved list the Village police force calls (§ 103-10). Requirements include a licensed repair shop and storage facility, premises within the Village or within a radius of five miles, twenty-four-hour emergency service, a truck with a minimum ton-and-a-half power winch carrying 150 feet of three-eighths-inch steel cable, and liability insurance naming the Village as an insured.