St. Petersburg, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 20-84(b)-(c)
- Accepted payment
- Cash, debit, major credit cards
- Card surcharge cap
- 3% of towing fee
- Remedy
- Civil liability to vehicle owner
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 151-H, 1-8-2015
Summary
St. Petersburg requires any towing service that tows a vehicle parked in the City to accept cash, debit card, or any major credit card from the owner at any point in the tow, before, during, or after, and caps card-payment surcharges at 3% of the towing fee under section 20-84.
(b)Acceptable forms of payment. Any towing service towing motor vehicles parked within the City shall, at a minimum, accept the following forms of payment from the vehicle's registered owner or other authorized representative, regardless of whether payment is offered before the tow has started, while the towing service is in the process of the tow, or after the tow has been completed: cash, debit card, or any major credit card. Additional costs or fees in excess of three percent of the fee for towing shall not be assessed by reason of payment being made by debit card or credit card.(c)Penalties. Any towing service that improperly refuses to take acceptable forms of payment when offered shall be liable to the vehicle owner for any and all fees and costs charged by the towing service (e.g., fees for towing, additional costs or fees assessed by reason of payment being made by debit card or credit card, storage fees, etc.), any damages resulting from the towing or storage, and attorney's fees and court costs arising from the towing or storage.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
Section 20-84, titled "Towing of vehicles from private property," targets non-consensual tows, the towing service definition in subsection (a) reaches "any natural person, association, corporation, firm, joint venture, partnership, or other entity engaged in the practice of towing and storing vehicles" operating within the City. Subsection (b) sets a payment-acceptance floor: a towing service must take cash, debit card, or any major credit card from the vehicle's registered owner or an authorized representative, and that duty applies "regardless of whether payment is offered before the tow has started, while the towing service is in the process of the tow, or after the tow has been completed", so a company cannot refuse a card mid-tow to force a cash payment.
" Rather than a City-issued citation, subsection (c) creates a direct civil remedy: a towing service that improperly refuses an acceptable payment form becomes liable to the vehicle owner for all fees and costs the company charged, towing, card surcharges, storage, plus any resulting damages and the owner's attorney's fees and court costs. The section was adopted by Ordinance No. 151-H on January 8, 2015.
Violations & Fines
Section 20-84 does not route through the Code's general fine in section 1-7; instead subsection (c) makes an improperly refusing towing service directly liable to the vehicle owner for every fee and cost charged, towing, card surcharges, storage, plus resulting damages and the owner's attorney's fees and court costs, recoverable through a civil claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a St. Petersburg tow company refuse my credit card?
How much extra can a tow company charge for using a card?
What can I do if a towing company refuses my card?
Does this rule cover tows from a business parking lot without my consent?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Petersburg
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