Tow board proposes updated, weight‑based towing and storage fees; city officials seek details on list and process

The Portsmouth tow board presented a proposal to City Council to modernize towing and storage fees that have not been updated since the mid‑2000s.

Lieutenant Luck (Portsmouth Police Department) told council the city’s current flat tow fee is $105 and storage fees historically were $20 after the first 24 hours. The tow board proposed a new schedule that would break charges out by gross vehicle weight rating; as presented those changes included a proposed $200 base tow for lighter vehicles, a higher fee for mid‑weight vehicles, and a higher flat rate for very large vehicles. The tow board also proposed raising storage fees to $50 for the smaller weight classes and $70 for larger vehicles. The tow board’s presentation cited recent rate revisions in nearby Norfolk and Virginia Beach as comparators.

Council members asked how the proposed schedule would be applied. Lieutenant Luck and staff clarified these rates would apply only to towing companies on the city’s approved tow list when the city requests a tow (for example, police‑requested tows). The proposal would not set rates for private, caller‑requested tows by non‑listed companies.

Council asked about how the city’s tow list is maintained and who decides which companies are on it. Lieutenant Luck said the police department maintains and vets applications and that the chief of police provides oversight. Deputy City Attorney Derek Challenger referenced city code section 37‑250, which requires the chief of police to maintain the register of tow operators, sets minimum safety standards and authorizes a city‑set fee schedule for police‑requested towing. Challenger said the ordinance provides the framework but does not answer every operational question raised by council.

Vice Mayor Moody and other councilors asked the city to provide more detail on the process for getting on and staying on the city list, the number of companies currently on the list (staff said there are roughly 10–15), and how the city’s impound and evidence‑handling procedures interact with private tow yards. Staff said impounded evidentiary vehicles are processed by the city garage/forensics bay and then moved to the wrecker company that carried out the tow; non‑evidentiary police‑requested tows are taken to the next provider on the city’s rotational list.

The tow board’s recommendation will return to council for formal consideration with additional procedure details to be provided by staff.