PROHIBITED ACTS

New Orleans City Code ch. 162, art. XI, div. 9

in effect

New Orleans City Code § 162-1026 Prohibited response to an accident scene, police investigation or disabled vehicle.

Sec. 162-1026. - Prohibited response to an accident scene, police investigation or disabled vehicle. Tow truck operators shall not respond to the scene of a police investigation unless called by the police or by the owner or operator of a disabled vehicle. No person, including, but not limited to, the tow truck owner, or his agent, employee or operator, shall stop at the scene of an accident, at the scene of a stolen vehicle recovery, or at or near a disabled vehicle, for the purpose of soliciting an engagement for towing service. No tow truck owner, or his agent, employee or operator shall stop at the scene of an accident, at the scene of a stolen vehicle recovery, or at or near a disabled vehicle unless he has been summoned to such scene by the owner or operator of a disabled vehicle or has been requested to perform such services by the NOPD or other police agency. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 28755, § 1, 8-5-21)

New Orleans City Code § 162-1027 Prohibited use of emergency equipment.

Sec. 162-1027. - Prohibited use of emergency equipment. Rotating or strobe beacon lights shall not be used except while at the scene of the accident/emergency or while towing a vehicle. No towing service company or tow truck operator may operate or utilize a police radio monitoring device to obtain information regarding police emergencies, recovered stolen vehicles, or vehicular accident scene for the purpose of soliciting towing service. The possession of radios and/or scanning devices which access police radio frequencies, in any vehicle or tow truck assigned to the towing business is prohibited. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 28755, § 1, 8-5-21)

New Orleans City Code § 162-1028 Removal of vehicle.

Sec. 162-1028. - Removal of vehicle. (a) No towing service business shall tow or remove any vehicle from the scene of any accident, stolen vehicle recovery, or other towing emergency unless summoned to the scene by the owner or operator of the vehicle or the NOPD. (b) No towing service business shall be allowed to tow or remove any vehicle from the scene of an accident, stolen vehicle recovery, or other towing emergency unless the towing service business complies with state law and this article. (c) No towing service business shall remove any wrecked, disabled, or recovered stolen vehicle from the scene where an accident has occurred or a stolen vehicle has been recovered or attach a tow truck to such wrecked, disabled, or recovered stolen vehicle until the investigating police officers have completed their investigation. Operators may in emergency cases move a vehicle involved in an accident, if the movement is necessary to extricate a person from a wreckage or to remove an immediate hazard to life and/or property. In no event shall the movement be more than is reasonable and necessary. (d) Tow truck operators shall not, without the express authorization of the responsible investigating agency, move any vehicle from a public highway or street, or from any public property with such vehicle is abandoned, stolen, or damaged. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 28755, § 1, 8-5-21)

New Orleans City Code § 162-1029 Repairs, alterations limited.

Sec. 162-1029. - Repairs, alterations limited. No towing service business shall require the performance of repair work on a disabled, wrecked, or recovered stolen vehicle in connection with providing towing service for the vehicle. No towing service shall make repairs or alterations to a disabled, wrecked, or recovered stolen vehicle without first having been authorized by the owner of such vehicle, except for emergency alterations necessary to permit the towing of such disabled, wrecked, or recovered stolen vehicle by the towing service or its agents. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 28755, § 1, 8-5-21)

New Orleans City Code § 162-1030 Written statement of services.

Sec. 162-1030. - Written statement of services. No operator shall charge for services which are not itemized and documented on an invoice and/or written statement detailing the charges for any towing services, the location to which the vehicle will be towed and/or stored, and a listing of any services to be performed in addition to the towing services as well as the charges for these services. The tow truck driver shall not remove any disabled vehicle without signing such written statement and obtaining the signature of the customer on such statement. The only exception to this requirement is when the tow truck has been dispatched from the NOPD towing allocation list and the owner or operator/driver is not present or is incapable of making or declines to make arrangements for the removal of the vehicle. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 28755, § 1, 8-5-21)

New Orleans City Code § 162-1031 Unauthorized removal.

Sec. 162-1031. - Unauthorized removal. No towing service shall tow or remove any vehicle to any location other than to the towing service's approved storage facility unless authorized by the registered owner of the vehicle, the operator, or the NOPD. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 28755, § 1, 8-5-21)

Source: City of New Orleans, Code of Ordinances and Home Rule Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/la/new_orleans/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICO_CH162VEHI_ARTXITORESTRE_DIV9PRACFetched: 10/28/2026