Union County, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Government Center and Old Post Office lots, Monroe
- Owner notice deadline
- 24 hrs registered / 72 hrs unregistered vehicle
- Civil penalty
- $10 first, $20 second, $50 subsequent (12 mo.)
- Criminal penalty
- Up to $50.00 infraction under G.S. 14-4
- Redemption
- Pay towing fee plus penalty, or post double bond
- Hearing right
- Magistrate probable-cause hearing, appeal to district court
Summary
Union County treats any vehicle parked without a permit in its reserved parking areas at the Government Center and Old Post Office in Monroe as abandoned and subject to towing. The county contracts with a tower, who collects towing fees directly from the owner, and the owner can demand a magistrate's hearing on probable cause before losing the vehicle for good.
(a)Generally. Vehicles parked in violation of this division shall be deemed abandoned and may be removed from the reserved parking areas by the county or an agent of the county to a storage area or garage. If a vehicle is so removed, the owner, as a condition of regaining possession of the vehicle, shall be required to pay to the county any fine or penalty due for the violation, and to the tower all reasonable costs incidental to the removal and storage of the vehicle... (c)Procedure. In removing a vehicle pursuant to this division, the county shall contract with a tower for removal and impoundment, and the tower shall be responsible for collecting all towing fees from the owner. The owner of the vehicle towed, or any other person entitled to claim possession, may file a request for a hearing with a magistrate in the county for the sole purpose of determining whether probable cause existed for the towing... If the magistrate finds that probable cause did exist for the towing, the tower's lien pursuant to G.S. ch. 44A continues. If the magistrate finds that probable cause did not exist, the tower's lien is extinguished, and the county shall pay to the tower the amount of the towing fees. Any aggrieved party may appeal the magistrate's decision to district court.
Full Breakdown
The county's non-consent towing rules, Sec. 36-40 through 36-45 of the Code of Ordinances, apply only to the two designated reserved parking areas: the county-owned lot on the north side of the Government Center at 500 North Main Street and the county-owned lots on the south and west sides of the Old Post Office at 407 North Main Street, both in Monroe. ch. 20, art. 2A. Vehicles parked in violation are deemed abandoned and may be removed by the county or its agent to a storage area or garage under Sec.
36-44(a). The county manager must notify the last known registered owner within 24 hours if the vehicle carries a state registration, or within 72 hours if it does not, listing the vehicle description, storage location, the violation charged, the return procedure, the hearing procedure, and the civil penalty assessed. The county contracts with a tower for removal and impoundment under Sec. 36-44(c); the tower collects all towing fees directly from the owner. ch. 44A continues, and if it did not, the lien is extinguished and the county itself pays the tower's fees.
Either side may appeal the magistrate's ruling to district court. An owner may redeem the vehicle at any stage by paying the towing fee plus the civil penalty, or by paying the civil penalty and posting a bond with the county for double the towing fee, per Sec. 36-44(d).
Violations & Fines
Parking in a reserved area without a permit is enforced under Sec. 36-43 against whoever was operating or controlling the vehicle, with ownership treated as prima facie proof of who parked it. Criminally it is an infraction under G.S. 14-4 punishable by a penalty of not more than $50.00. A separate civil penalty applies on a 12-month rolling basis: $10.00 for a first violation, $20.00 for a second, and $50.00 for any subsequent violation. Paying the applicable civil penalty is a condition of regaining a towed vehicle, and unpaid penalties can be pursued by the county as a civil debt action if not paid within ten days of citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Union County tow my car from the courthouse parking lot?
How do I get my towed vehicle back?
Can I contest a tow from a Union County reserved lot?
Does this towing rule apply anywhere else in Union County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Union County
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