Illegal towing.
Denver Revised Municipal Code § 55-178
in effectSec. 55-178. - Illegal towing.
It shall be unlawful:
(1) For any public towing service or operator to tow or otherwise move a vehicle from any private road or driveway or from any other privately owned land or property within the city, except:
a. When the public towing service or operator is requested to perform towing services by the owner or custodian of the vehicle;
b. When the public towing service or operator is requested to perform such towing services by an owner or custodian of private property on which the vehicle is parked; provided, that the owner or custodian of such private property has first furnished the public towing service or operator with a written statement to the effect that every reasonable effort has been made to locate the owner or custodian of the vehicle; and provided further, that such private property is not a parking lot required to be licensed under article IX of this chapter;
c. When a public towing licensee or operator is acting as an agent in a legal repossession of a motor vehicle and has in his possession documentation showing that he has authority to repossess the vehicle.
(2) For any public towing service or operator to fail to notify the police department within thirty (30) minutes of the removal of a vehicle from public or private property;
(3) For any public towing service or operator to tow or otherwise move a vehicle from any area or portion of a public street, from any private road or driveway, or from any other privately owned land or property within the city to a place out of the city without the consent of the owner of the vehicle;
(4) For a repossession vehicle to tow a repossessed vehicle more than one (1) mile from the location where the repossessed vehicle was picked up and to tow such repossessed vehicle on an interstate highway.
(5) For towing vehicles not to be equipped with engines, transmissions, differential and power transmission systems, brake system, and frame and suspension construction sufficiently heavy to safely list and tow any vehicle that it accepts for removal from the scene of the accident or point at which it was tendered for towing. In addition to the emergency equipment listed in item 7 [section 55-177], towing vehicles which are used to winch equipment of any description up inclines or back onto a roadway shall be equipped with deadmen blocks and other tie down equipment sufficient to hold the towing vehicle in place while winching.
(6) To accept for towing vehicles that are so extensively damaged as to require a dolly or dollies, unless the towing vehicles are so equipped, or unless the towing carrier has a flatbed vehicle with which to effect removal of the damaged vehicle.
(7) For a public towing service or operator to require an owner or custodian of a vehicle located on private property, which vehicle the public towing service or operator has been authorized to tow or otherwise move, to pay a service charge in excess of fifteen dollars ($15.00) when the owner or custodian arrives on the scene before such vehicle is removed and said vehicle owner or agent terminates the service.
(Ord. No. 52-87, § 1, 2-2-87)
Source: City and County of Denver, Revised Municipal Code and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/co/denver/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIREMUCO_CH55TRMOVESASE_ARTVIWRTOSE_DIV1GE_S55-178ILTOFetched: 10/27/2026