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Woodbridge, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

License required
Yes, Official Tower, § 4-7.4
Application fee
$100, non-refundable
Decision window
60 days after full application
Max decoupling fee
$50
Overcharge penalty
90-day, then 180-day, then permanent

Summary

Woodbridge requires anyone doing municipal towing at police request to hold an Official Tower license under § 4-7.4, backed by a licensed garage, a $100 application fee and a Police Director background check. A separate ordinance bars towing from private lots without written consent or posted signage.

Any person having available space at a garage who desires to engage in municipal towing at the Police Department's request, as delineated in this section, shall first obtain a license according to the terms and conditions of this section. No official tower shall subcontract to any person who is not a licensed official tower any work to be performed by him for the Township, without having first obtained written approval from the Police Department for the use of the subcontractor... Any "official tower" who voluntarily removes itself from the rotating list, thereby relinquishing its license under this section, forfeits the right to re-apply for a license under this section until the next awarding of licenses and contracts by the Township.

Full Breakdown

4 requires anyone with garage space who wants to tow at the Police Department's request to get licensed first, and bars subcontracting to an unlicensed tower without written Police Department approval; an official tower who voluntarily leaves the rotation forfeits the right to reapply until the next round of licenses is awarded. 3's specifications: a six-foot fence with a lockable gate around vehicle storage, at least 400 square feet of secured indoor storage, a staffed waiting room, an ADA-accessible restroom, and a zoning permit from the Township Zoning Officer confirming the site complies with the Land Use and Development Ordinance.

9). Separately, § 4-7A's Predatory Towing Prevention rules govern non-consent tows from private lots: a 36-by-36-inch sign must be posted at every vehicular entrance listing authorized parking terms, the towing company's name and phone number, and its towing, storage and decoupling charges; a towing company cannot remove a vehicle without the property owner's or lessee's written authorization present to verify the violation, except for blocked entrances outside business hours or vehicles within 15 feet of a fire hydrant or in a fire lane; and it cannot charge more than a $50 decoupling fee to release a vehicle before towing.

Violations & Fines

Section 4-7.27 punishes an official tower's violation by a fine up to $1,000 or imprisonment up to 90 days, plus a graduated license suspension schedule for overcharging: 90 days for a first offense, 180 days for a second, and permanent revocation for a third. Predatory-towing violations under § 4-7A.5 carry the same $1,000 fine or 90-day jail exposure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a towing company need a Woodbridge license to tow for the police?
Yes. Section 4-7.4 requires an Official Tower license before a company can be called by the Woodbridge Police Department, and its garage must meet the storage, fencing and restroom standards in § 4-7.3.
Can a private lot have my car towed without warning in Woodbridge?
Not without a posted 36-by-36-inch sign listing the towing company and its rates, under § 4-7A.1, and generally not without the owner's written authorization present under § 4-7A.2.
How much can a tow company charge to release my car before it's towed away?
No more than a $50 decoupling fee under § 4-7A.4, if the vehicle has been hooked or lifted but not yet moved when the owner returns and pays.

Sources & Official References

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