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County Board adopts updated towing ordinance with permitting, recordkeeping and enforcement provisions
Summary
After public testimony and advisory‑board review, Arlington County adopted a new trespass towing ordinance establishing a permitting system, recordkeeping requirements and enforcement paths; the board amended the staff proposal to remove a state‑mandated fuel surcharge from local ordinance language and kept the base tow fee unchanged.
The Arlington County Board adopted a revised trespass‑towing ordinance that establishes a local permitting program for tow operators, clarifies recordkeeping and notice requirements, and creates enforcement pathways including permit revocation.
Staff presented legislative history showing the Trespass Towing Advisory Board (TTAB) recommended local permitting; state code changes this year gave localities authority to require permits and other rules. Staff proposed updates that included a permitting system for tow operators, clearer notice requirements (including a 48‑hour notice for expired registration or inspection on multifamily properties), requirements on towers to retain records and receipts, and state‑required elements such as a fuel surcharge. The staff recommended an effective date of March 1, 2025 to allow time to hire implementation staff and stand up permitting systems.
At the meeting, TTAB Chair John Kennedy urged several continuations and clarifications, including consideration of: a short waiting period (he suggested 10 minutes) as an alternative to a mandatory second signature; a higher fee for vehicle immobilizers (the “boot”), which he said would encourage towers to use immobilization rather than immediate removal; making contract submission to the county manager “upon request” rather than a blanket requirement; and a TTAB review step in the appeals process so an advisory panel could recommend on permit revocations before the county board sustained or reversed them.
Public commenters urged the board to adopt staff’s recommended ordinance without a second‑signature requirement; others opposed increasing fees, saying higher fees create perverse incentives for predatory towing. The board debated several amendments. Members approved a friendly amendment removing the fuel surcharge clause from local ordinance language (the fee is set by state code and may expire in July 2025), and another amendment left the county’s base tow fee at the existing $135 rather than increasing it to $150. The board directed staff to return with an implementation report by the December 2025 regular meeting and adopted the ordinance with an effective date of March 1, 2025.
Action: The board adopted the proposed amendments to Chapter 14.3 (towing) with the final motion and two board amendments (mover: Board Member Christian D. Carantonis; vote 5–0).
Ending: County staff said they will create the permitting system, hire a dedicated implementation position, stand up a complaint intake process and coordinate with police, the TTAB and state enforcement channels for illegal towing complaints.
