A quiet change in Vermont's motor vehicle bill could affect your fleet management and local service provider relationships.
Most Vermont manufacturers don't realize that a provision buried in S0326—An Act Relating to Miscellaneous Amendments to Laws Relating to Motor Vehicles—directly changes how much towing services can charge the state for removing abandoned vehicles from public property. Understanding this shift matters if your operation contracts with local towing companies, manages a fleet, or relies on these services for equipment recovery.
Vermont's maximum allowable towing fee for abandoned motor vehicles removed from public property is being doubled from $125 to $250. This increase applies specifically to fees that towing services charge the State of Vermont when they perform this contracted work.
The change appears in Section 11 on Page 8 of S0326 and takes effect July 1, 2026.
If your manufacturing operation uses local towing services—whether for equipment transport, fleet management, or recovery of vehicles from company property—this change ripples through your vendor relationships and potential costs. Small towing businesses that hold state contracts for abandoned vehicle removal will see their maximum reimbursement rate increase, which typically translates to higher fees for private customers as well.
The change is most direct for towing companies themselves. Those contracted with the state to remove abandoned vehicles from public roads and parking areas can now bill up to $250 per tow instead of $125. For a towing service handling multiple state-contracted removals monthly, this doubles their potential revenue from that specific work.
The effective date of July 1, 2026 gives you time to plan. If your business currently budgets for towing services or has standing agreements with local providers, you should expect rate conversations before mid-2026. Some towing services may adjust their general pricing structure to align with the new state maximum, while others may keep private rates separate from state-contracted work.
For manufacturers managing fleet vehicles or equipment transport, this is worth a conversation with your regular towing provider. Understanding whether they'll adjust rates and when helps with budget forecasting and vendor negotiations.
This isn't a mandate that all towing fees must increase—it's a change to the maximum fee allowed when towing services bill the state for abandoned vehicle removal. However, market rates typically follow maximum allowable rates. If you use towing services regularly, adding this to your 2026 planning conversations makes sense.
The change reflects Vermont's recognition that towing costs have shifted since the previous $125 cap was set. For small towing businesses, it acknowledges the real cost of vehicle recovery and storage. For manufacturers and other businesses, it's a heads-up that vendor costs may adjust accordingly.
Source: Vermont S0326, Section 11, Page 8; effective July 1, 2026.