How to check a tow company before you call

Who licenses tow companies in each state, where to look one up, and what to ask before the truck is sent.

Updated October 6, 20263 checks120 official sources

Your checklist3 checks before you hire

1What to ask on the phone
2Check the license
3A company that runs trucks between states

Most of what a tow company tells you can be checked, and the rest can be asked before the truck is sent.

What to ask on the phone

The full price: the hook-up fee, the rate per mile, and any charge for nights, weekends or the type of truck.
Where the car will be taken, and the yard's hours if it's stored.
Which license or permit the company holds, and its number.

Check the license

Who licenses tow companies differs by state. Some states license or permit them, and in others the license comes from the city or county, if it's required at all. The table says what the research found for each state and links the state's own lookup where there is one. Where a state isn't listed, the research didn't find enough on an official page to say.

State	What the state requires, and where to check
Alabama	In Alabama, cities license tow companies. The City of Mobile requires a city business license, plus a wrecker permit for each truck that takes part in its rotation.¹
Alaska	In Alaska, cities and municipalities license tow companies. The Municipality of Anchorage's Municipal Clerk licenses tow operators.^2-3
Arizona	In Arizona, the Department of Public Safety registers tow truck companies. Each truck also needs an identification number, an inspection and a permit decal before it can operate.^4-7
Arkansas	The Arkansas Towing and Recovery Board licenses tow businesses. It also issues a safety permit for each tow vehicle.^8-9 Check a tow company's license on the state's license lookup.
California	In California, cities and counties license towing. San Diego, for example, requires tow drivers to hold a police permit.¹⁰
Colorado	The Colorado Public Utilities Commission issues towing carrier permits. Each tow truck also gets an annual vehicle stamp.^11-14 Check a tow company's license on the state's license lookup.
Connecticut	In Connecticut, tow companies need a Department of Motor Vehicles dealer or repairer license and wrecker plates. The DMV issues the plates after it inspects the wrecker.^15-17
Delaware	The research found no state license for tow companies in Delaware.^18-19
District of Columbia	In the District of Columbia, the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection licenses tow truck businesses, tow trucks and tow truck storage lots.^20-22
Florida	Florida has no state tow license. Counties and cities license tow companies; Miami-Dade County Consumer Protection is one.^23-24
Georgia	The Georgia Department of Public Safety issues the permit that tow companies need for nonconsensual towing.^25-26
Hawaii	The research found no state license for tow companies in Hawaii.²⁷
Idaho	In Idaho, cities license tow companies. The City of Boise's City Clerk licenses nonconsent tow companies.^28-30
Illinois	The Illinois Commerce Commission licenses companies that tow trespassing vehicles from private property in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Will and Winnebago counties. It also registers companies that tow damaged or disabled vehicles in those counties.^31-34 Check a tow company's license on the state's license lookup.
Indiana	In Indiana, cities license tow companies. The City of Indianapolis, through its Business and Neighborhood Services, issues a nonconsensual towing license.^35-36
Iowa	The research found no state license for tow companies in Iowa.³⁷
Kansas	In Kansas, a company needs a certificate of public service from the Kansas Corporation Commission to provide wrecker or towing service for pay.^38-41 Check a tow company's license on the state's license lookup.
Kentucky	The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Division of Motor Carriers issues the towing and storage certificate that tow companies need.⁴²
Louisiana	In Louisiana, the State Police Towing and Recovery Unit licenses towing and storage businesses. The Louisiana Public Service Commission also issues a common carrier certificate for nonconsensual towing.^43-48
Maine	Maine has no state tow license. Municipalities license tow companies; the City of Portland is one.⁴⁹
Maryland	Maryland has no state tow license. Counties and Baltimore City license tow companies; the Baltimore County Department of Permits, for example, issues a trespass towing license.^50-51
Massachusetts	The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities certifies tow companies to do involuntary tows, including trespass tows and tows ordered by police.^52-54 Check a tow company's license on the state's license lookup.
Minnesota	The research found no state license for tow companies in Minnesota. Cities license them; Saint Paul's Department of Safety and Inspections is one.⁵⁵
Missouri	In Missouri, cities and counties license tow companies where they've adopted a program. Kansas City's Regulated Industries Division is one example.^56-58
Montana	In Montana, the Highway Patrol's Tow Truck Administrator, in the Department of Justice, permits tow trucks. A truck needs an annual safety inspection, insurance verification and a decal to tow for pay.^59-61
Nebraska	The research found no state license for tow companies in Nebraska. Cities and counties license them.^62-64
Nevada	The Nevada Transportation Authority issues the certificate of public convenience and necessity that tow companies need to operate a tow car.⁶⁵
New Hampshire	The research found no state license for tow companies in New Hampshire.^66-67
New Jersey	In New Jersey, municipalities license tow companies; Jersey City's Division of Commerce is one. The state Division of Consumer Affairs enforces the Predatory Towing Prevention Act but doesn't register tow companies.^68-70
New Mexico	The New Mexico Department of Transportation's Transportation Regulation Bureau issues the towing service warrant that tow companies need for directed by police and trespass tows.^71-74
New York	New York has no state tow license. New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection licenses tow truck companies and tow truck drivers.^75-76
North Carolina	In North Carolina, cities and counties regulate towing by ordinance, and the state sets rules for private lot towing only. Some cities issue towing or wrecker permits or rotation contracts.^77-78
Ohio	The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio regulates tow companies as for-hire motor carriers. A certificate is required to operate within the state.^79-81 Check a tow company's registration on the state's registration lookup.
Oklahoma	The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety's Wrecker Services Division licenses wrecker companies.^82-84
Oregon	In Oregon, a company needs a tow business certificate and tow plates from the Oregon DMV to tow or recover vehicles for pay. The Oregon State Board of Towing works with the DMV on it.^85-87
Pennsylvania	In Pennsylvania, municipalities license tow companies. The City of Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections issues a tow company license and a tow truck license.^88-90
Rhode Island	The Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers issues certificates to tow companies.^91-92
South Carolina	In South Carolina, cities license tow companies. The City of Columbia requires a city business license and keeps a zone rotation list for wreckers.^93-95
Tennessee	Tennessee has no state licensing body for tow companies. Local governments license them; the Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County Transportation Licensing Commission is one.^96-98
Texas	The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses tow companies and tow truck operators.^99-101 Check a tow company's license on the state's license lookup.
Utah	The Utah Department of Transportation's Motor Carrier Division certifies tow truck motor carriers, tow truck operators and tow truck vehicles.^102-104 Check a tow company's license on the state's license lookup.
Virginia	In Virginia, the Department of Criminal Justice Services registers tow truck drivers. The department says it's responsible for registering tow truck drivers only.^105-107 Check a tow company's registration on the state's registration lookup.
Washington	The Washington State Department of Licensing issues the registered tow truck operator certificate.^108-111 Check a tow company's registration on the state's registration lookup.
West Virginia	In West Virginia, the Public Service Commission registers wrecker carriers, meaning towing carriers.^112-115
Wisconsin	In Wisconsin, municipalities license tow companies. The City of Milwaukee's City Clerk License Division is one example.^116-119

A company that runs trucks between states

A company whose trucks carry vehicles between states needs a USDOT number from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and some states require one for trucks that stay inside the state.¹²⁰ Listings here built from the registry show the company's USDOT number and link to its federal record.

Every tow company on this site is listed with its own phone number, so you can call and ask before you decide.

Licensing rules and lookups from state agencies, legislatures and city licensing offices, checked October 2026.

How to check a tow company before you call

What to ask on the phone

Check the license

A company that runs trucks between states

Sources (120)

Find tow companies in your county