HB105 Alabama 2011 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Marcel Black
Democrat
Co-Sponsors: Barry Mask Duwayne Bridges Howard Sanderford K.L. Brown Kerry Rich Dan Williams April Weaver Ed Henry Becky Nordgren Mac Buttram Ken Johnson Wayne Johnson Steve Clouse Jim Barton Johnny Mack Morrow Randy Davis Mike Hill Mac McCutcheon Gregory Canfield Jay Love Mike Ball Jack Williams Joe Hubbard Chad Fincher Jim McClendon Randy Wood Daniel H. Boman
Session: Regular Session 2011
Title: Motor vehicles, licensing and registration of trucks and truck tractors, motor vehicle wreckers (tow trucks), licensing and registration based on gross vehicle weight not to include vehicle towed, Sec. 40-12-248 am'd.
Summary: HB105 requires tow trucks to be licensed and taxed based on the wrecker's own weight, not the weight of the vehicles they tow.
What This Bill Does
The bill shifts tow truck licensing to use the wrecker's gross vehicle weight (GVW) for fees, using base and additional amounts by weight class. GVW is defined as the wrecker's empty weight plus the heaviest load it would carry, and for combinations includes the heaviest trailer and its load; the weight of towed vehicles is no longer part of the fee calculation for wreckers. It also establishes related weight-based licensing rules for pickups and other vehicles, allows an owner to increase the licensed GVW by affidavit (without automatic decreases except once per year), and provides fee caps for farmers and forest-product transport, plus a $300 license option for certain carriers near municipalities.

Who It Affects
Tow truck operators and owners: their annual license taxes and registration fees for wreckers will now be calculated based on the wrecker's GVW, following the specified base and additional fee schedules.
Farmers and forest-product transport operators: their license fees are subject to caps based on weight (lower maximums for light trucks, higher caps for heavier ones; one farm truck tractor may be covered under a reduced cap; forest-product trucks have separate caps).

Key Provisions
Amends 40-12-248 to base tow truck licensing on the wrecker's gross vehicle weight (GVW) only, ignoring the weight of any vehicle towed.
GVW definition: empty weight of the wrecker plus the heaviest load it would carry; for combination units includes the heaviest trailer and its load.
Fee structure: annual license tax and registration fees consist of a base amount by GVW class plus an additional amount by GVW class, with specified base and additional amounts in weight-based schedules.
Farm/forest product caps: farmers have reduced maximum fees (e.g., up to $30 for GVW ≤ 30,000; up to $85 for >30,000–42,000; up to $250 for heavier weights), with a limit that only one truck tractor can use the reduced farmer cap; forest-product trucks have separate caps (e.g., up to $40 for ≤30,000 and up to $65 for >30,000–42,000).
Tolerance: for farm/forest product trucking with GVW ≤ 42,000, a 10% tolerance is allowed on scaled weights for enforcement purposes.
Special carrier fee: certificated motor carriers operating within 15 miles of a municipality and domiciled in the county pay a total annual license tax and registration fee of $300.
Non-commercial pickups: pickups used for personal or agricultural use (not for commercial purposes) are licensed based on vehicle weight only, disregarding heaviest loads carried or trailers.
Wrecker-specific provision: tow trucks (wreckers) are licensed based on the wrecker's GVW without regard to the weight of towed vehicles.
Weight-class adjustments: owners may increase the allowable GVW by affidavit and must surrender current plates and pay the difference to obtain a new license in the higher weight class; weight class cannot be decreased except once per year when purchasing new tags.
Effective date: the act becomes law immediately after passage and approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Motor Vehicles