PUC adopts towing rules; carriers must file annual tow data tied to permits

The Public Utilities Commission adopted rules implementing House Bill 24 10 51 that became effective April 14, and the rules require licensed towing carriers to submit an annual dataset tied to permits, a PUC staff member said at the towing task force meeting May 14.

The dataset requirement matters because the task force expects aggregated data to inform future policy decisions. Nathan Riley, staff member, said the rulemaking (proceeding number 24R0382TO) was initiated after the legislation and “the rules officially were adopted and became effective on April 14.” He added the first dataset “is due by February 1 of each year,” with a flexibility provision for extenuating circumstances.

PUC staff described the specific metrics the rules will collect. Riley summarized the required items as: (1) the number of tow trucks a towing carrier is operating; (2) the annual volume of tows by category (consensual, nonconsensual, law‑enforcement); (3) consensual tow rates where applicable; and (4) “any other information determined by the PUC,” a catchall for future metrics the commission may add. Riley said the data requirement is now active but that the task force should not expect completed datasets until the statutory reporting cycle begins.

Members discussed how the data will be used and when it will be available. Riley said the commission intends for the towing task force to “likely have access to this information once it starts being submitted and aggregated,” and he estimated that usable reports would not appear for several months after reporting begins; the staff timeline points to the February 1 reporting date in 2026 as the first required submission.

Separately, task force members received a legislative status update. Riley said Senate Bill 25 1 75 — the towing task force sunset/renewal bill — “did pass the Senate on March 31” with an amendment adding a 10‑year sunset; he said the House passed the bill on April 25 and that the group is waiting to learn whether the governor will sign it. Riley said he believed the amendment set the new sunset year at 2035 but qualified that as his recollection.

The task force has been split into three work groups to research PUC‑approved rates and categories, annual inflation adjustments, and consensual vs. nonconsensual rates. Riley and other members encouraged subgroups to pursue research in between meetings and to bring findings back to the full task force; no formal deadlines were set, though members discussed aiming for additional reports next year.

No formal votes or motions were taken at the meeting because the group lacked quorum. Riley noted five members were present when eight are required for quorum and asked members to identify alternates for future meetings so the task force can consider formal actions when needed.

Background: the PUC initiated the towing rulemaking after enactment of House Bill 24 10 51; the adopted rules create the reporting requirement that is now part of the permit process. Task force members said they expect fuller industry participation because the rules link permit renewals to data submission.

What’s next: PUC staff will collect the first required datasets in 2026 and make aggregated reports available to the towing task force for policy review. The task force’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Aug. 13.