Manatee County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Base rate (light vehicles)
- $125 for first 30 minutes
- Hourly rate after 30 min
- $100 to $150
- Mileage rate
- $4 to $5 per mile
- Daily storage rate
- $25 to $50
- Bar/restaurant tow window
- 9 p.m. to noon next day
- Removal order kept
- 3 years
- Max civil penalty
- $500
Summary
Manatee County caps what a tow truck operator may charge for a non-consensual tow and bars bars and restaurants from ordering a parked vehicle removed between 9 p.m. and noon the next day without a signed removal order, under Code Article V, Sec. 2-19-71 through 2-19-75.
(a)For vehicles with a gross weight of ten thousand (10,000) pounds or less or vehicles carrying a vessel fifteen (15) feet or less in length:1.One hundred twenty-five dollars ($125.00) for travel to the scene and the first thirty (30) minutes thereafter at the scene;2.One hundred dollars ($100.00) per hour, measured in fifteen (15) minute increments, after the first thirty (30) minutes at the scene;3.Four dollars ($4.00) per full mile towed;...5.Twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per day to store the vehicle. ... No property owner or lessee of a property licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the licensed premises, or an authorized employee thereof, may cause any vehicle parked on such property to be removed by a towing service between 9:00 p.m. and 12:00 noon the following day, unless the property owner, lessee, or authorized employee thereof has signed an order authorizing the removal of a particular vehicle.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 124 | Land Development Code: Supplement 21).
Full Breakdown
Manatee County Code Chapter 2-19, Article V sets the maximum rates a tow truck operator can charge for any nonconsensual tow originating in the county. For vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less (or towing a vessel up to 15 feet), Sec. 2-19-72(a) caps the charge at $125 for the trip to the scene and the first 30 minutes there, $100 per hour after that in 15-minute increments, $4 per mile towed, up to $15 for prep work such as disconnecting a driveshaft, and $25 per day of storage.
Heavier vehicles (10,000-20,000 pounds, or vessels 15-22 feet) run up to $150/$100/$4/$30/$30, and vehicles over 20,000 pounds (or vessels 22 feet or longer) run up to $200/$150/$5/$50/$50. Operators may add up to $25 to cover exposed contents, $35 for after-hours access to retrieve property, $45 per vehicle for mailing and lien paperwork on vehicles unclaimed after 24 hours, and $3 per mile for enroute travel beyond 15 miles from the company's base. Sec. 2-19-73 requires every operator to post these maximum rates at its business and storage locations and to give an itemized bill on request.
Sec. and noon the next day, no property owner, lessee, or towing service may remove a parked vehicle without a signed removal order naming the vehicle, its location, the date and time, and the towing company and driver, and both the property owner and tow company must keep that order on file for three years.
Violations & Fines
Manatee County Code Enforcement and the Sheriff's Office enforce Article V under Chapter 162, Florida Statutes. Sec. 2-19-75 makes each violation, whether an overcharge or a tow made without a signed removal order during the 9 p.m.-to-noon window, punishable by a civil penalty of up to $500, and the county can also sue for damages or an injunction against a repeat offender.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a bar tow my car overnight without telling anyone?
What's the most a tow company can charge to store my car?
Does the tow company have to post its rates?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Manatee County
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