§ 20-176.13. Operating license required to tow or immobilize a vehicle in Broward County; exemptions.

(a)

Except as provided in paragraph (b), below, no person shall immobilize or tow a vehicle in Broward County, store a towed vehicle in Broward County, or advertise such services, regardless of whether that person's primary place of business is inside or outside Broward County, without first obtaining and maintaining a current and valid operating license for the applicable service. All advertisement of such services shall include the operating license number.

(b)

The regulations provided herein do not apply to trucks capable of transporting five (5) or more vehicles at one (1) time; persons transporting vehicles solely for personal, family, household, or recreational uses; or persons transporting their own vehicles. The regulations provided herein shall also not apply to any person providing consent tows in Broward County if that person's principal place of business is located outside Broward County, unless such person picks up and drops off vehicles solely within Broward County as one (1) complete service. Government agencies directly performing their own towing or immobilization services, as opposed to contracting with private companies to perform the services for them, are exempt from the licensure requirements of this Section, the insurance requirements of Section 20-176.16, the tow truck registration requirements of Section 20-176.18, and the immobilization requirements of Section 20-176.21(a), but must otherwise comply with the regulations provided herein.

(c)

Nothing in the regulations provided herein shall be construed to require licensing of a natural person who works as an employee for another person holding a valid operating license, provided, however, that any natural person who is an independent contractor and not an employee of a licensed person is required to be licensed. An operating license may be used only by the licensee and its employees.

(Ord. No. 2014-34 , § 3, 10-14-14; Ord. No. 2016-22 , § 2, 8-16-16)