WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor

Ch. 444

CHAPTER 444
(Senate Bill 479)

AN ACT concerning

Tow Trucks - Emergency or Secondary Tow

FOR the purpose of permitting a tow truck that is registered in another state to obtain an
annual blanket permit to engage in certain types of towing activities if the tow truck
meets certain requirements; providing that a certain method of issuance of blanket
permits under this Act shall be superseded if there is certain reciprocity between this State
and another state; prohibiting the operator of a certain tow truck registered in
another state from towing a vehicle in Maryland unless the tow truck operator is
expressly authorized to tow the vehicle; requiring the owner of such a tow truck to
obtain a certain type of liability insurance; and generally relating to the issuance
under certain circumstances of certain permits to tow trucks that are registered in
another state.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - Transportation
Section 13-920
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1992 Replacement Volume)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Transportation

13-920.

(a)     (1) In this section "tow truck" means a vehicle that:

(i) Is a Class E (truck) vehicle that is designed to lift, pull, or carry a
vehicle by a hoist or mechanical apparatus;

(ii) Has a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds
or more; and

(iii) Is equipped as a tow truck or designed as a rollback as defined in
§ 11-151.1 of this article.

(2) In this section "tow truck" does not include a truck tractor as defined in
§ 11-172 of this article.

(b)     When registered with the Administration every tow truck as defined in this
section is a Class T vehicle.

(c)     A tow truck registered under this section may be used to tow vehicles for
repair, storage, or removal from the highway.

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