HB 629 -- Wrecker and Towing Services

Sponsor:  Yates

This bill establishes provisions regarding the licensure of
operators and employees of wrecker and towing service companies.
In its main provisions, the bill:

(1)  Requires towing companies and their employees to be licensed
by the Missouri Public Service Commission;

(2)  Requires a company to prominently display its state license
on both sides of all its wreckers;

(3)  Requires licensees to maintain liability insurance in the
amount of at least $750,000 with a deductible not greater than
$1,000 per occurrence;

(4)  Requires a licensee to pay a $200 initial licensing fee,
renewable annually on December 31 for a $100 fee;

(5)  Authorizes the commission to cancel, suspend, revoke, or
refuse to issue or renew a license;

(6)  Requires a licensee to make provisions for Internet access
if a statewide abandoned vehicle database is established;

(7)  Creates within the state treasury the Wrecker License
Administration Fund to be used for the administration of the
provisions of the bill;

(8)  Prohibits licensees from towing a damaged or disabled
vehicle without specific authorization from the owner or
operator;

(9)  Requires a licensee to provide the owner or operator of a
vehicle it has towed with a written disclosure stating the formal
name of the business, address, telephone number, address of the
vehicle's location, all costs and fees, and an itemized
description of the vehicle owner's or operator's rights;

(10)  Requires licensees to maintain a copy of the completed
disclosure records for at least five years;

(11)  Requires all vehicle storage facilities to prominently
display a readily visible sign explaining customer rights;

(12)  Prohibits a licensee from having any clause in its towing
contract that waives or limits liability;

(13)  Requires a licensee, upon towing an abandoned vehicle, to
report the activity to a law enforcement agency if the licensee
does not have access to the Department of Revenue's online
records;

(14)  Requires a licensee to maintain consistent storage rates on
vehicles and not to differ based on whether the owner has
insurance covering the charges; and

(15)  Requires a licensee who tows an abandoned vehicle without
authorization from a law enforcement agency to enter the
appropriate information on the statewide abandoned vehicle
database.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated November 17, 2009 at 9:25 am