Tuscaloosa, AL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Article V, adopted by Ord. No. 7095 in 2007 and last adjusted by Ord. No. 9411 in 2023, governs any tow performed without the vehicle owner's consent from private property within the city; it does not cover consensual tows or the city's own rotation-wrecker program under Article IV. Before towing, the property owner must post reflective signs meeting exact size and lettering rules, at least two-inch letters, with "tow away zone" in four-inch letters, and the tow operator must get a signed authorization from the property owner or their agent, who generally must be present, then notify the Tuscaloosa Police Department with the vehicle's VIN, tag, and location before and after the tow.

00 per 24-hour storage period, with the first 24 hours of storage free. 00 and cannot be charged during the two hours after a University of Alabama home football game. Administrative fees for title searches or certified mail can be itemized but cannot apply to a vehicle stored less than 48 hours, and any credit-card surcharge is capped at 3 percent. Operators must accept cash, insurance checks, travelers checks, and major credit or debit cards, make change up to $100 in cash, and release any vehicle within one hour of payment.

Every operator must keep towing records, including dates, fees charged, and the authorizing party, for at least two years, and provide the vehicle owner a written receipt plus a city-supplied complaint information card at reclaim.