Shawnee County, KS Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Base tow cap
- $100 plus $3/mile, up to 12,000 lbs
- Heavier vehicle cap
- $250 plus $4/mile, up to 18,000 lbs
- Storage fee cap
- $30 per calendar day
- After-hours release cap
- $35 charge
- Storage yard rule
- 6-ft fence plus enclosed building
- Civil penalty
- $250 plus 6-month list removal
Summary
Shawnee County dispatches non-consent tows only through a sheriff's office rotation list of contracted providers. Sec. 7-145 caps every towing, storage, release and cleanup fee a provider may charge, and Sec. 7-138 sets round-the-clock response, fencing and insurance standards a company must meet to join that list.
(a)Charges for towing, storage and other related services in connection with any vehicle tow pursuant to the list or otherwise towed without the prior consent or authorization of the owner or operator of the vehicle shall not exceed the maximum fees and charges that the board of county commissioners adopts by resolution and in effect from time to time. These charges are the sole and exclusive charges that may be legally imposed for such towing, storage and other related services and it is unlawful to charge fees in addition to or in excess of the maximum fees and charges. All other charges not identified in this article or by resolution are expressly prohibited, including, without limitation, fuel surcharges, gate fees or other similar unauthorized fees to retrieve vehicles or remove a person's property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 7-134 lets any provider seeking non-preference tow work enter a tow service provider contract with the county, and Sec. 7-135 lists when law enforcement may order a tow without owner consent: a vehicle disabled or unsafe after an accident whose owner cannot or will not remove it, a vehicle whose driver has been arrested or detained, or any other legally authorized reason. Sec. 7-136 has the county's emergency communications center run the rotation, calling the next provider on the list and moving any provider who cannot respond to the bottom.
Sec. 7-137 makes the sheriff's office the contracting agency, with one-year contracts and 30 days' written notice to cancel. Sec. 00 liability plus garagekeeper's and on-hook coverage. Sec. 7-145 forbids any charge beyond the county-adopted maximums, including fuel surcharges or gate fees, and Sec. 00 per hour for extraordinary labor or standby time after the first 30 minutes. Sec. 7-144 bars any listed provider from soliciting tow business at an accident scene unless dispatched there.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 7-147 imposes a $250.00 civil penalty for any violation of the towing article and automatically removes the provider from the rotation list for six months, on top of any other legal remedy the county pursues. Sec. 7-143 lets the sheriff suspend a provider for at least 60 days or revoke its listing for a full year, terminating its contract, for fraud in obtaining the contract, overcharging, repeatedly refusing dispatch calls, or soliciting business at a scene; a provider can appeal a suspension or revocation to the sheriff within ten calendar days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a tow company solicit business at an accident scene?
How much can a Shawnee County tow company charge?
What must a provider do to get on the county's tow rotation list?
What happens if a tow company overcharges a customer?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shawnee County
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