How to verify a Richmond tow company is legitimate

What to actually check

Virginia doesn't issue a single statewide towing license the way some states do, so there's no one-number lookup that proves a company is legitimate on its own. What you can verify is real and specific to how Virginia and the Richmond-area localities regulate towing: whether the operator is on your locality's contracted or approved tow list, a rate that matches the statewide fee ceiling (or Richmond's own lower local cap), and a clean signage and paperwork trail.

Step 1: check whether the operator is on your locality's tow list

Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield each authorize towing operators locally under Va. Code § 46.2-1217, not through one statewide license. In Richmond, police-directed tows run through a single exclusive contractor, Seibert's Towing, a relationship the city has maintained since 1992 and most recently re-awarded under City Council Ordinance No. 2016-176. In Chesterfield, county-directed tows are handled by whichever company sits on the police department's approved-company rotation list. Henrico doesn't publish a public tow list; call the non-emergency line, (804) 501-5000, to confirm an operator. A legitimate operator working a police-directed tow in any of these jurisdictions should be able to confirm their standing without hesitation.

Step 2: compare the rate to the fee ceiling

Virginia's statewide maximum for a nonconsensual tow off private property is a $210 hookup fee, plus up to $30 for towing between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. or on a weekend or holiday (capped at two such fees per vehicle), with no charge at all for the first 24 hours of storage. Richmond sets its own, lower local cap: a 2025 city ordinance put the local hookup fee at roughly $195, with a $30 overnight surcharge, a new weekend/holiday surcharge up to $30, storage around $50 per 24-hour period, and an administrative fee around $75 once a vehicle has sat 72+ hours (these figures come from local news coverage of the ordinance - re-verify the exact current numbers against Richmond's code before treating them as final). If a quoted price for a nonconsensual tow is well above these numbers, ask why.

Step 3: check the driver's license class on a heavy-duty call

Virginia requires a commercial driver's license (CDL) to operate a tow truck rated 26,001 pounds or more; lighter trucks run on a standard Virginia driver's license - there's no separate towing-specific license class here. If a heavy-duty rig shows up for a box truck, bus, or RV, ask to see the CDL.

Step 4: look at the truck and the paperwork

Virginia law requires any operator doing a nonconsensual tow to post a full list of fees at their main office and at the vehicle-recovery site, and to hand over an itemized invoice. Before the hook, a legitimate operator tells you every document you'll need to get the vehicle back.

Step 5: verify the vehicle wasn't towed by mistake

Before assuming foul play, check whether the vehicle is simply on a legitimate list. Richmond publishes a live towed-vehicle lookup at apps.richmondgov.com/applications/towviewing (make, model, color, partial VIN, partial plate), kept online for 14 days after the tow. If it's not there and you still can't reach the operator who has your vehicle, call the non-emergency line for your locality.

Red flags - signs the operator is not legitimate

• Truck has no visible company name or contact number on the doors.
• Operator can't or won't produce an itemized invoice or confirm their standing with the locality.
• Operator demands cash only and refuses to provide a written, itemized invoice.
• Operator quotes a price wildly different from what you were told on the phone, or well above the state fee ceiling.
• Operator threatens you for asking questions or wanting to see paperwork.
• Driver appears impaired or asks you to sign blank paperwork.
• The company has no traceable business address, no phone number that connects to a live dispatcher, or no online presence.

What to ask before the truck arrives

A dispatcher who knows what they're doing should be able to answer these on the first call:

• "What's the flat-rate price for this specific job?"
• "Are you insured, and can I get that in writing?"
• "What's the ETA?"
• "Can you text or email me a written quote before you dispatch?"

If the dispatcher hedges on any of these or tells you to "just trust us," call someone else. Quick Tow Richmond answers all four questions on the first call.

What to verify when the truck arrives

1. Truck door panel shows a company name that matches the dispatcher's quote.
2. Driver introduces themselves before touching the vehicle.
3. Driver provides a written, itemized invoice before the hook.
4. Driver explains which method (flatbed vs. wheel-lift) and why.
5. Driver knows your destination and the route.
6. If any of these don't happen, ask before you sign anything.

Virginia and Richmond-area verification resources

Lookup	Where	What it confirms
Richmond towed-vehicle lookup	apps.richmondgov.com/applications/towviewing	Whether your vehicle was towed within city limits, and where it landed
Richmond non-emergency line	(804) 646-5100	Confirms a city-directed tow and connects you to Richmond's towing oversight process
Henrico County Police, non-emergency line	(804) 501-5000	Confirms a Henrico-directed tow - no public online lookup exists
Chesterfield County Police	(804) 748-1251 / CCPD@chesterfield.gov	Confirms a Chesterfield-directed tow and the county's approved-tower list
511 Virginia	511virginia.org	Real-time road conditions and VDOT Safety Service Patrol activity

If you suspect you've been scammed

• Document everything: photos of the truck, the driver, the invoice, and any paperwork shown or refused.
• Report it to the non-emergency line for the locality where the tow happened: Richmond (804) 646-5100, Henrico (804) 501-5000, or Chesterfield (804) 748-1251.
• If charges were placed on your credit card without authorization, dispute the charges with the card issuer.

Quick Tow Richmond's credentials

• Rates that match Virginia's statewide fee ceiling for nonconsensual tows.
• Registered as an active Virginia business entity.
• Every truck shows our company name and contact information on both doors.

If you're on scene with one of our drivers and want to see any of the above, just ask.