St. Louis County, MO Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $35 per truck, annual
- Renewal fee
- $25, within 30 days
- Insurance minimum
- $25k/$50k bodily injury
- Applies
- Unincorporated County only
- Max penalty
- $500 fine / 30 days jail
Summary
Every tow truck operating in unincorporated St. Louis County needs a $35 annual license from the Director of Licenses, plus a filed price schedule and proof of insurance.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a tow truck within the County unless the owner of the tow truck shall first have obtained a license from the Director for said tow truck. Application for a license shall be made by the tow truck owner on a form furnished by the Director, and any license issued shall be affixed to the lower left corner of the windshield of the tow truck for which the license is obtained.
(b)No license shall be required of any person operating a tow truck in the County, when such tow truck has affixed to its windshield a license obtained from any municipality pursuant to an ordinance of said municipality, which said ordinance is similar in content to this chapter. The aforementioned municipal license must be valid for the current year and the licensee must comply with all requirements of the municipal ordinance and with all applicable provisions of this chapter.(c)No license shall be required of any person to operate a tow truck(s) within the county, if that person's only business interest in the tow truck(s) is to sell and service said truck(s).
(O. No. 11139, 8-11-83)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Traffic: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
The Tow Truck Code applies only outside incorporated cities, towns and villages. Owners must license each truck ($35/year, $25 renewal), pass a Police Superintendent background check, carry $25,000/$50,000 bodily injury and $10,000 property damage coverage, and file a price schedule with the Director that customers can request before a tow. Trucks must display the licensee's name, ID number and the phrase "tow vehicle licensed by St. Louis County, Missouri." Cruising for business, loitering, and diverting a competitor's customers are all banned outright, and drivers can't move a fatal-accident vehicle until police release it.
Violations & Fines
Operating unlicensed or overcharging past the filed schedule: up to $500 fine and/or up to 30 days in the County Correctional Facility; the Director can also suspend (up to 90 days) or revoke the license.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a municipal tow license work in the unincorporated county?
Can a tow truck driver just cruise looking for wrecks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis County
Compare St. Louis County to another location·View the Missouri business licensing & operations overview
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