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New Pa. law requires Philly tow trucks to provide photo evidence of parking violations

The law is an attempt to hold towing companies accountable and give drivers a guaranteed way to contest parking violations from the Philadelphia Parking Authority.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority tows a vehicle from the 800 block of Filbert Street in Philadelphia in 2021.
The Philadelphia Parking Authority tows a vehicle from the 800 block of Filbert Street in Philadelphia in 2021.Read moreELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer
    by Trebor Maitin
    Updated 
    Published 

Philadelphia tow truck drivers will soon be required to collect photo evidence of a parking violation before they tow a vehicle, under a state law signed Monday.

The law, authored by State Rep. Jose Giral (D., Philadelphia), is an attempt to hold towing companies accountable and give drivers a guaranteed way to contest parking violations. It only applies to Philadelphia, where residents often complain about the ticketing and towing practices of the Philadelphia Parking Authority.

“It’s meet-in-the-middle legislation with tow companies and vehicle owners,” Giral said. “It’s something that should’ve been done a long time ago.”

The PPA, which operates as a state agency separate from city government, will be able to levy penalties against its contracted towing companies if they do not adhere to the new law.

The law is unrelated to the city’s unpopular practice of courtesy towing – when a car is moved from a legal parking space after it is labeled a temporary no-parking zone. The law applies only to vehicles with towable offenses.

A vehicle can be towed if it is in a designated towing zone or if it has three or more delinquent parking, red-light camera, or speed camera violations, according to the PPA website.

Photos are already taken of a vehicle and nearby signage if the vehicle is issued a towable parking violation, according to a PPA spokesperson. The photos are available to drivers upon request and free of charge, as is also mandated by the new law.

Giral said constituents of his Kensington-based district call him frequently after being “wrongfully accused for parking illegally.” This legislation, he said, would remedy such concerns.

“This goes beyond the violation itself,” he said, noting that if a vehicle is damaged during the towing process, there would be photo evidence because of the new law.

The law, which Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro signed this week after it passed both chambers of the General Assembly unanimously, will take effect Sept. 6.

Trebor Maitin is an intern with the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents Association. He can be reached at trebormmaitin@gmail.com.

Correction: This article has been updated to correct the entity that is responsible for the practice of courtesy towing in Philadelphia.