General Provisions.

Austin City Code tit. 13, ch. 13-6, art. 5, div. 1

in effect

Austin City Code § 13-6-91 ACCIDENT SCENE ACCESS RESTRICTED.

§ 13-6-91 - ACCIDENT SCENE ACCESS RESTRICTED. Except as provided under this chapter, a towing company may not enter an accident scene or other site under a peace officer's control without the officer's permission. In this article, the term "accident scene" includes a scene of a disabled vehicle. Source: 1992 Code Sections 8-14-128(D) and (E); Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. 20060608-019.

Austin City Code § 13-6-92 ACCIDENT SCENE REQUIREMENTS.

§ 13-6-92 - ACCIDENT SCENE REQUIREMENTS. (A) Except as provided in rules prescribed for the traffic incident management program, a person may not drive, or cause another person to drive, a tow truck to an accident scene on a City street unless: (1) the person is summoned to the scene by a peace officer or by a person involved in the accident; or (2) it is necessary to prevent death or bodily injury, and emergency medical personnel are not present. (B) A towing company that is summoned to an accident scene by a person involved in an accident shall: (1) immediately notify the department that the towing company is responding to the accident scene; and (2) obtain the person's signature and information on a form provided by the police chief, if the person is present and willing to sign. (C) A towing company stopping to protect an accident scene may not tow a vehicle from the accident scene unless it is a non-consent tow rotation or a traffic incident management program call. (D) A towing company that is summoned to an accident scene by a peace officer or a person involved in the accident shall comply with the rules adopted by the police chief. (E) A towing company that does not deliver a tow truck, of the category specified by a peace officer, to an accident scene by the deadline prescribed by this section or by a rule adopted under this chapter may, in the discretion of a peace officer at the accident scene, forfeit the call for towing service. Regardless of whether the call was forfeited, the towing company may be subject to administrative action related to its continued listing on the non-consent tow rotation list or its continued participation in the traffic incident management program. Source: 1992 Code Sections 8-14-211, 8-14-214, and 8-14-217(D); Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. 20060608-019.

Austin City Code § 13-6-93 ADDITIONAL TRUCK REQUIRED.

§ 13-6-93 - ADDITIONAL TRUCK REQUIRED. (A) If a tow truck operator responding to an accident scene determines that an additional tow truck is needed, the tow truck operator shall tell the peace officer in charge which second tow truck or towing company to contact. (B) The peace officer shall contact the department to summon the tow truck or towing company to the scene. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-14-217(C); Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11.

Austin City Code § 13-6-94 AUTHORIZATION FOR VEHICLE REMOVAL.

§ 13-6-94 - AUTHORIZATION FOR VEHICLE REMOVAL. (A) A tow truck operator summoned to an accident scene may not begin preparations to remove a disabled vehicle from the scene until a peace officer authorizes the removal, except under the traffic incident management program. (B) A peace officer may direct that a vehicle be towed to a vehicle storage facility owned or used by the City. Source: 1992 Code Sections 8-14-128(B) and 8-14-217(C); Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. 20060608-019.

Austin City Code § 13-6-95 INVENTORY REQUIRED.

§ 13-6-95 - INVENTORY REQUIRED. Before a tow truck operator tows a vehicle from an accident scene, the peace officer in charge of the accident scene shall prepare an inventory of property located in the vehicle, on a form provided by the police chief. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-14-217(E); Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. 20060608-019.

Austin City Code § 13-6-96 REMOVAL LOCATION.

§ 13-6-96 - REMOVAL LOCATION. (A) The driver of a disabled vehicle may designate the location to which the vehicle is to be towed from the accident scene. A driver may not designate that the vehicle is to be towed to, or left on, a public roadway. (B) If the driver fails to designate a location, the towing company shall take the vehicle to its vehicle storage facility for storage. (C) If the driver designates that the vehicle be towed to a location other than a vehicle storage location, the driver and the towing company must agree on the payment method for the vehicle removal. (D) If the driver does not tender payment in a satisfactory manner, the towing company shall tow the vehicle to its designated vehicle storage facility. Source: 1992 Code Sections 8-14-217(F) and (G); Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. 20060608-019.

Austin City Code § 13-6-97 IMPOUNDMENT.

§ 13-6-97 - IMPOUNDMENT. A peace officer may require the removal of a vehicle that is evidence in a criminal offense from an accident scene to a vehicle storage facility. Source: 1992 Code Sections 8-14-128(B) and 8-14-217(I); Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11.

Austin City Code § 13-6-98 DRIVEABLE VEHICLE.

§ 13-6-98 - DRIVEABLE VEHICLE. This article does not prevent the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident from designating a responsible licensed driver present at an accident scene to immediately take custody of a driveable vehicle. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-14-217(H); Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11.

Source: City of Austin, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT13TRSE_CH13-6VETOSE_ART5ACSCTO_DIV1GEPRFetched: 10/27/2026