Standard rules of operation.
Riverside Municipal Code § 5.15.110
in effect5.15.110 - Standard rules of operation.
A. All requests for towing service and the removal of traffic hazards shall be made through the Police Department. Official police tow services shall provide towing service when:
1. The owner or driver of a disabled vehicle requests or specifies a specific garage or a tow service that is currently an official police tow service with the City.
2. The owner or driver of a disabled vehicle is unable to or fails to specify a garage or tow service.
3. A disabled vehicle presents a hazard that renders any request by a driver or owner impractical.
4. A Police Department employee requests a towing service and the owner or driver of the towed vehicle is not present or not consulted due to an arrest or other public safety needs.
B. Official police tow services shall comply with the following requirements:
1. Official police tow service's business office shall be located within 150 feet from the storage yard and attended at all times for servicing the public and the City from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for the following state holidays of January 1, known as New Year's Day; third Monday in January known as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday; third Monday in February, known as Washington's Birthday/President's Day; March 31, known as Cesar Chavez Day; last Monday in May, known as Memorial Day; July 4, known as Independence Day; first Monday in September, known as Labor Day; the second Monday in October, known as Columbus Day; November 11, known as Veteran's Day; fourth Thursday in November, known as Thanksgiving Day; and December 25, known as Christmas Day. If January 1, March 31, July 4, November 11, or December 25 fall upon a Sunday, the Monday following is a holiday and if they fall upon Saturday, the preceding Friday is a holiday (California Vehicle Code § 22658(n)(2)(C)). Official police tow service may comply with this provision on the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve only by providing an on-call attendant provided that the attendant can respond to the lot in 45 minutes or less from the initial call.
2. Official police tow services may make an additional charge for after normal business hours release of vehicles as provided in the California Vehicle Code.
3. Official police tow services must be available to promptly respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week for all requests by the City for towing services.
4. Official police tow services shall release vehicles stored or evidence-stored by the Police Department, pursuant to authorization provided by appropriate employees of the Police Department. Such authorization shall be in writing on a form provided by the Police Department.
5. A stored vehicle is any vehicle removed from a site and taken to the tow yard to be stored at the direction of a Police Department employee and, for which a Vehicle Report (currently, form CHP 180) is provided to the official police tow service or where such vehicle is involved in a traffic collision.
6. An evidence-stored vehicle is any vehicle containing evidence of a criminal activity, or which in and of itself provides evidence of a criminal act, that is removed from a site and taken to the tow yard or a Police Department facility to be stored at the direction of a Police Department employee and for which a Vehicle Report (currently, form CHP 180) is provided to the official police tow service.
7. No vehicle stored at the direction of the Police Department using a Vehicle Report (currently, form CHP 180) shall be released without written authorization from the Police Department.
8. In the event a vehicle is not given an "evidence-stored" status, the official police tow service may charge the vehicle owner fees in accordance with Section 5.15.080. In the event a vehicle is given an "evidence-stored" status, the vehicle owner shall not be charged fees in accordance with Section 5.15.080.
9. The Police Department shall have sole authority for changing the "stored" or "evidence-stored" status of a towed vehicle. The Police Department shall pay the Official police tow service $1.00 per day after the initial 30 days an "evidence-stored" vehicle has been held by Official police tow service at the direction of Police Department. When a vehicle's "evidence-stored" status is removed, the Official police tow service may begin charging the vehicle owner a vehicle storage fee in accordance with Section 5.15.080.
10. With the exception of "evidence-stored" vehicles, all vehicles stored as a result of a tow ordered by the Police Department shall be made available to the owner of the vehicle or his representative, any insurance agent, insurance adjuster, or any body shop or car dealer, for the purpose of estimating or appraising damages.
C. Removing hazards. After being dispatched by the Police Department to the scene, the official police tow service shall cooperate with the police officers in removing hazards and illegally parked vehicles as requested. It is the duty of the police officers to determine when such vehicle should be stored or moved, and the official police tow service shall abide by their decisions.
D. Official police tow services shall comply with the California Vehicle Code regarding signs on tow trucks.
E. The owners of each official police tow service shall be responsible for the acts of their employee and/or agent while the employee and/or agent is on duty. Official police tow services shall be responsible for damage to vehicles while in its possession caused by the active or passive negligence of the official police tow service and/or its employee(s) and agent(s).
F. Official police tow services shall comply with the following requirements:
1. All official police tow services records, equipment, and storage facilities shall be subject to periodic checks by Police Department or other City investigators during normal business hours.
2. Official police tow services shall maintain all offices, storage facilities and equipment in a neat, clean and organized manner.
3. Official police tow services shall provide access to employees of the City at any time during normal business hours, for the purpose of inspection or audit to determine that the objectives and conditions of the official police tow service agreements with the City are being fulfilled.
G. Official police tow services shall record its time in and its time out on every tow truck assignment. Such records shall be available and open to City examination.
H. Official police tow services shall submit a daily (except holidays and weekends) electronic tow inventory report to the Contract Administrator using the electronic file and format as provided by the Police Department. These daily reports shall be submitted no later than 9:00 a.m. the day following the reported day and must include all of the following information addressing all City-generated tows and/or calls for service that occurred during the preceding 24-hour period:
1. Date of tow;
2. Tow driver name;
3. File/Incident Number;
a. If no File/Incident Number is available, then the official police tow service must provide the location from which the vehicle was towed;
4. Storage Authority Code listed on the State of California Vehicle Report (currently form CHP 180);
a. If no Vehicle Report was received, and the vehicle was towed at the vehicle owner's request, such information shall be provided instead;
5. License plate number affixed to the towed vehicle;
6. Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) affixed to the towed vehicle;
7. Vehicle Color;
8. Vehicle Make;
9. Vehicle Model;
10. Salvage Slip Request;
11. Evidence Vehicle Notification;
12. Date Vehicle was released and/or sold from the tow yard;
13. Name of person and/or company vehicle was released and/or sold to;
14. Address of person and/or company vehicle was released and/or sold to.
I. Official police tow services shall maintain a log to document the date, time, name, agency, agency identification number, and purpose of all person(s) entering the evidence hold storage area.
1. The Contract Administrator shall provide in advance to each official police tow service a list of all persons authorized to access the evidence storage area.
J. Official police tow services shall comply with the following communications requirements:
1. Official police tow services shall subscribe to an answering service used in common with all other official police tow services.
2. Official police tow services shall require the answering service to retain data and records relating to the City's requests for towing services either on premises or electronically. The answering service shall provide said data and records to the Police Department in weekly reports, and at cost to the official police tow service.
3. Official police tow services shall require the answering service to promptly accept and relay requests for towing services made by the City.
4. Official police tow services shall install and maintain at all times communications between their tow vehicle(s) and the official answering service. This communication may be either two-way radio or cellular telephone.
5. Official police tow services shall maintain a 24-hour per day communication contact with their tow vehicle(s).
6. Official police tow services shall maintain a 24-hour per day telephone service to receive calls from the public.
K. Official police tow services shall have a secure and environmentally safe vehicle storage facility with a minimum of 15,000 usable square feet and a minimum of two feet separation between each vehicle.
1. The vehicle storage facility must be located within one driving mile of the corporate City limits of the City of Riverside. The vehicle storage facility to be used for the processing and potential destruction of low/no value recreational vehicles, boats, watercraft, and trailers must be located within ten driving miles of the corporate city limits of the City of Riverside. Official police tow service shall notify the Contract Administrator in writing before a low/no value recreation vehicle stored at the direction of the Police Department is moved to a different location. The written notice shall include the date and time of the scheduled move, and the location to which the low/no value recreation vehicle will be moved.
2. The vehicle storage facility must be completely enclosed by a six-foot high wall or fence with no holes, gaps or other unsecured openings, and a gate. All gates into the storage yard shall meet the same standards required of the wall or fence.
a. Any damage to walls, fences or gates which allow unauthorized access must be repaired within 24 hours.
3. The vehicle storage facility shall have adequate lighting, and comply with all applicable building codes, zoning regulations, environmental laws and regulations, and any and all the applicable laws, rules and regulations established by federal, state, county and/or city governments.
4. Inside Storage: The vehicle storage facility must have adequate storage facilities to provide storage of two vehicles, with a minimum of three feet separation between each vehicle within an enclosed area, totally protected from the weather, contamination or handling by unauthorized person(s).
a. The Police Department will designate when a vehicle is to be placed into inside storage and may place a seal on each door of the vehicle and/or door(s) of the storage facility. Vehicles placed into inside storage shall not be removed therefrom without authorization from the Police Department.
b. The vehicle storage facility must provide an inspection area for authorized members of the Police Department. Such area shall have, at a minimum, a covered inspection area (roof) with a paved (concrete or asphalt) surface.
c. The indoor storage area may be used for other purposes when not required by the Police Department.
5. No official police tow service shall perform any work upon any vehicle stored or evidence-stored by the Police Department without first obtaining authorization from the Police Department and the registered owner of the vehicle.
6. Official police tow services shall not dispose of any stored or evidence-stored vehicle, through any process whatsoever, without first obtaining written authorization from the Police Department.
L. Official police tow services when disposing of unclaimed vehicles shall abide by all federal, state, and local laws pertaining thereto.
M. All vehicles stored or evidence-stored as a result of a tow ordered by the Police Department shall be towed directly to an official storage lot unless the Police Department or other person legally in charge of the vehicle requests that it be taken to some other location.
N. The Police Department review for Authorized Drivers shall be completed and reported back to the official police tow service or applicant within ten business days after receipt of the California Department of Justice live scan report.
O. Applicable Riverside Municipal Code amendments shall require an amendment to the towing agreements. Official police tow services that do not sign and return the contract amendment within 60 days of mailing thereof shall be deemed to forfeit the remainder of the towing agreement term, and the agreement shall be automatically cancelled.
(Ord. 7732, § 5, 2025; Ord. 7555 § 1(Exh. A), 2021)
Source: City of Riverside, California, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ca/riverside/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_TIT5BU_CH5.15OFPOTOSE_5.15.110STRUOPFetched: 11/1/2026