Tougher Towing Rules Coming to Oakville

The Town of Oakville is making it harder for tow truck operators to take vehicles away.

A new set of regulations will stop the towing of cars without the owner’s consent from both public and private properties in Oakville, including parking lots, unless they follow local bylaws or the Province of Ontario’s Trespass to Property Act.

The updated rules will be in place starting February 28, 2025.

According to the new bylaw, only Town of Oakville enforcement staff, municipal law enforcement officers (MLEO) appointed by the town, or police officers can arrange for towing or impounding a vehicle without the owner’s permission.

Before a vehicle can be towed, a penalty notice must be issued first, followed by a required half-hour waiting period. This waiting time aims to discourage predatory and/or fraudulent towing practices.

Owners of private parking lots can register with the Town of Oakville to request parking enforcement by officers.

There are exceptions to the half-hour waiting period for emergency situations and vehicles that are:

Parked, stopped, standing, or left in signed fire routes In construction zones Interfering with snow-clearing operations on municipal land In designated accessible parking spaces Blocking a laneway, loading docks, ingress and/or egress points, or driveway access; or On municipal rights-of-way or on municipal land for community or special events.

Alternatively, property owners may use the Trespass to Property Act to tow vehicles.

Oakville will assess how effective these new rules are after one year.

 

 

 

 

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