H.B. 405 - Motor Vehicle Towing Summary

• Requires towing companies to provide a written, itemized estimate before attaching a disabled motor vehicle to a tow truck when the vehicle owner or operator is present at an accident scene.

• Written estimate must include the towing company's name, address, phone number, motor carrier permit number, tow truck license plate, and the operator's name.

• Estimate must list all service costs including labor, specialty equipment, mileage, accident scene cleanup, and storage fees expressed as a 24-hour rate.

• Estimate must disclose the difference between the towing company's charges and either the county's police-dispatched tow contract rate or the standard charges under Hawaii Revised Statutes section 290-11(b).

• Exemption applies to towing companies operating under contract with a police department or automobile club; takes effect July 1, 3000.