Fort Myers, FL Parking Rules: Towing & Impound Rights (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard tow fee cap
- $100.00 for cars, pickups, vans, trailer combinations, boats, motorcycles, mopeds and small campers (Sec. 86-265(d)(1))
- Administrative fee
- $30.00, both weight classes
- Storage
- Free for the first six hours, then $25.00 per 24-hour increment, or $40.00 for vehicles needing a class "C" wrecker
- Large truck tow
- $200.00 where a class "C" wrecker or special equipment is required
- Drop fee at the scene
- $50.00 if you arrive before removal (Sec. 86-267); no charge at all if the wrecker is not yet physically connected (Sec. 86-266)
- Release time
- Within one hour after request, once towing fees are paid (Sec. 86-264)
- Rate review
- Company cost data due September 30; council sets maximums before December 31 (Sec. 86-265(c))
- Enforcement
- Fort Myers Police Department registration and permits; code enforcement civil citations and semi-annual inspections; appeals to the nuisance abatement board
Summary
Fort Myers sets its own maximum towing rates rather than leaving them to Lee County. Sec. 86-265(d) caps a nonconsensual or private-property tow of a car, pickup, van, boat, motorcycle or small camper at a $100.00 towing fee plus a $30.00 administrative fee, with storage charged only after the first six hours at $25.00 per 24-hour increment. A large truck needing a class "C" wrecker runs $200.00 plus the same $30.00 administrative fee and $40.00 per 24 hours of storage. If you reach your car before it leaves, Sec. 86-267 sets the drop fee at $50.00, and Sec. 86-266 says you owe nothing at all if the wrecker has not yet physically connected to the vehicle.
(a)Any towing firm engaged in the business of nonconsensual towing or private property towing shall not charge the owner of any towed vehicle or personal property in excess of the fees listed in subsection (d) below. No additional fees or charges whatsoever may be charged unless specifically established and authorized herein or by Florida Statutes. ... (d)The towing fees are as follows:(1)Automobiles, pickup trucks, econoline type vans, trailer combinations, boats, motorcycles, mopeds, and small campers:a.Towing fee .....$100.00b.Administrative fee .....$30.00c.Storage fee: After the first six hours, $25.00 per 24-hour increment. .....(2)Large trucks that require a class "C" wrecker or special equipment:a.Towing fee .....$200.00b.Administrative fee .....$30.00c.Storage fee: After the first six hours, $40.00 per 24-hour increment. ... Sec. 86-267. - Vehicle not towed upon operator returning. ... If the registered owner or other legally authorized person in control of the vehicle arrives at the scene prior to removal or towing of the vehicle, the vehicle shall be disconnected from the towing or removal apparatus, and that person shall be allowed to remove the vehicle without interference upon the payment of $50.00 for which a receipt shall be given, unless that person refuses to remove the vehicle which is otherwise unlawfully parked.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 60).
Full Breakdown
Article VIII, Division 1 of Chapter 86 governs towing from private property in Fort Myers. It is a city rate schedule adopted under the municipal authority that Fla. 07(2)(b) reserves to municipalities, so the fees above are the ones that apply inside the city limits and the Lee County schedule does not displace them. Sec. 86-265(c) fixes the revision cycle: towing companies wanting a change must submit their cost information by September 30, and city council adopts any new maximum before December 31, though council is expressly under no obligation to change anything and may vote to keep the current rates.
Sec. 86-265(b) requires operators to accept cash, a major credit card and a debit card. Under Sec. 86-266, an operator summoned to a private lot may neither tow nor charge any fee if the driver returns before the vehicle has been physically connected, which Sec. 86-260 defines as at least two wheels raised from the ground with the hookup meeting Fla. 525. Sec. 00 fee to the community development department for sign plan review, and code enforcement must inspect and approve the signs before any towing is authorized.
m. Monday through Friday. For a requested private-property tow the driver must get the property owner's or authorized representative's signature at the vehicle's own location, and no tow company employee may ever be listed as that authorized representative. A nonconsensual towing agreement must be executed at least 24 hours before any removal, filed with the police department, and refiled annually or whenever the property changes tow vendors, owners or managers. Sec. 86-264 requires a posted "Towing Bill of Rights" within ten feet of where payment is taken, promising release within one hour of request, free retrieval of personal property before payment, and inspection of the vehicle without signing a liability waiver.
Sec. 86-268 forbids temporary storage anywhere but the tow owner's permanent business address. 00 per tow vehicle registered with the police department under Sec. 00 wrecker operator permit under Sec. 86-262, decided within five business days, carrying the operator's photograph on a card no smaller than 2 1/8 by 3 3/8 inches. Note that the codified text reflects Ord. No. 3560 of July 19, 2010, and the rates are subject to the annual council review described above, so confirm the current schedule before relying on a figure.
Violations & Fines
Police officers and code enforcement officers may issue civil citations to tow owners, property owners and their authorized representatives under Sec. 86-270, and all tow owners face a semi-annual code enforcement inspection. Sec. 86-273 makes a violator liable to the vehicle owner or lessee for all costs of recovery, including towing and storage fees, plus attorney's fees and court costs, and for damages resulting from the removal, transportation or storage. 00 per violation, with each violation a separate offense. Sec. 86-272 makes it a violation to charge any fee based on police responding to the vehicle owner's call, and forbids anyone but the property owner or the tow company that placed them from moving or defacing a tow-away sign.
Under Sec. 86-274, three violations within one year automatically suspend the operator's nonconsensual towing privilege; the chief of police must give notice within seven days before the suspension takes effect, and the operator has ten calendar days to request a due process hearing or waives it. Revocation runs six months on a first instance and one year on a second, and the listed grounds include paying the property owner for the towing privilege or per vehicle towed, overcharging, failing to display the wrecker operator permit, and refusing code enforcement access to records within 14 days of a written inspection request. Appeals go to the nuisance abatement board within 15 days, and filing one does not delay the revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Fort Myers set its own towing rates, or does Lee County's schedule apply?
I got to my car while it was already hooked up. What can they charge me?
When does the storage clock start running?
Can I see proof that my car was parked illegally?
Do I have to pay before I can get my belongings or look at the damage?
Who do I complain to about an overcharge?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Myers
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