HB643 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Jack Williams

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Towing companies, fees charged for towing and storage limited under certain circumstances, approval of towing fees by Department of Public Safety required, civil and criminal penalties

Summary

HB643 would cap towing and storage fees, require Department of Public Safety approval of rates, and impose civil and criminal penalties for excessive charges.

What This Bill Does

It sets a cap on charges for towing from private property (half the regular towing charge if the owner returns before removal) and defines excessive charges as the greater of a law-enforcement rate or the DPS-approved rate. It requires towing companies to annually submit their rates to the DPS and to make rates available to authorities on request, with civil (four times the charged amount) and misdemeanor penalties for violations. It also limits storage charges to one day if the vehicle is released within 24 hours and establishes rules about release timing and when storage charges accrue, plus DPS rulemaking authority.

Who It Affects

• Towing companies/operators: must limit charges under specified conditions, obtain and submit DPS approval for rates, and face civil and criminal penalties for excessive charges or failing to obtain/ publish rates.
• Vehicle owners/consumers: benefit from rate caps and storage-charge limits, with potential civil recovery (four times the charged amount) if charged excessive amounts and potential criminal penalties for violators.

Key Provisions

• Section 1(b): A private-property towing charge may not exceed half of the regular towing charge if the owner returns to the vehicle after coupling but before removal.
• Section 1(c): An excessive charge is defined as the greater of (1) the law-enforcement-rate that would apply under an agency agreement, or (2) the DPS-approved rate for the jurisdiction.
• Section 1(d): If released within 24 hours of storage, storage charges are limited to one day.
• Section 1(e): If a release request is made with proper documentation within 24 hours and the facility fails to comply, only one day of storage may be charged until the first business day; a business day is defined as open for at least eight hours.
• Section 1(f): Towing companies must annually submit rates to the DPS and must provide rate information within 24 hours of a request by specified legal authorities.
• Section 1(f)(1): Civil liability to vehicle owners for four times the excessive amount charged.
• Section 1(f)(2): Knowingly charging excessive rates or failing to obtain or disclose DPS-approved rates is a Class C misdemeanor.
• Section 1(g): DPS may adopt rules to implement the act.
• Section 2: The bill is exempt from local-fund expenditure requirements under Amendment 621 because it defines a new crime or amends a crime definition.
• Section 3: The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month 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