Lee County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Lee County Sheriff's Office
- Application fee
- $25.00, non-refundable
- Permit term
- One year, non-transferable
- Class A base tow rate
- $165.00 private property tow
- Gate fee cap
- $45.00 after-hours or holiday
- Permit forfeiture trigger
- 3 violations within 365 days
Summary
Any tow or immobilization company doing non-consent work in unincorporated Lee County needs a Sheriff's Office operator permit, background-checked and renewed yearly. The article also caps rates: a Class A wrecker's base tow runs $165, and gate fees top out at $45.
Wrecker operator permit. To engage in nonconsent, towing a wrecker (or tow truck) operator must have a valid wrecker operator permit issued by the Sheriff's Office consistent with this article. Immobilization operator permit. Any immobilization operator, including an individual providing the immobilization service, engaging in the immobilization or booting of a vehicle must have a valid "immobilization operator permit" issued by the Sheriff's Office consistent with this article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 7 | Land Development Code: Supplement 3 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Lee County's Towing and Immobilization Ordinance requires a wrecker or immobilization operator to hold a valid Sheriff's Office permit before performing any non-consent tow, boot or storage within the unincorporated County (Sec. 28-260). 00 application fee, submit to state and national fingerprint-based background checks repeated every five years, and disclose felony and misdemeanor history for five years back (Sec. 28-261). The Sheriff can deny an applicant with a violent felony, sex-offense registration, or a DUI within five years, and permits are non-transferable and valid for one year (Sec.
28-262). 00 per loss, plus bodily injury and property damage coverage scaled to the wrecker's gross vehicle weight (Sec. 28-263). Private-property tows require a posted light-reflective sign at every driveway or curb cut, with letters at least two inches high stating vehicles will be towed at the owner's expense, unless the lot serves a single-family home or the owner gave personal written notice (Sec. 28-269). Booting is barred except by a permitted operator, the boot must go on the driver's side front wheel, a warning sticker at least 8½ by 11 inches must be affixed, and the vehicle must be released within one hour of payment (Sec. 28-271). 00 an hour.
Violations & Fines
Towing or immobilizing vehicles without a current Sheriff's Office permit is unlawful, as is advertising towing services without listing the permit number (Sec. 28-276). Violations carry the maximum fines under F.S. Sec. 125.69, F.S. Sec. 715.07, and F.S. Chapters 162 and 775, and the County Administrative Code. Three or more violations by the same operator within 365 days is treated as sufficient grounds to forfeit the permit for 60 days, and the Sheriff administers all enforcement and fee collection (Sec. 28-276, Sec. 28-277).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues towing permits in unincorporated Lee County?
How much can a tow company charge for a private-property tow?
Can a company boot my car on private property in Lee County?
What happens if a Lee County tow company keeps violating the towing ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lee County
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