HB 577, titled the Protect Our North Carolina Towers and Truckers Act, creates a new regulatory framework for towing and recovery of commercial motor vehicles in North Carolina. The bill establishes a Commercial Motor Vehicle Towing and Recovery Commission within the State Highway Patrol to set reasonable fee ranges, adopt rules, and provide a nonbinding process for resolving disputes over towing and storage charges. It also requires towers seeking placement on state or local rotation wrecker lists, or DOT towing contracts, to submit fee schedules and updates, which are to be shared with the Commission but kept confidential for administrative purposes.
The bill further creates a new commercial motor vehicle tower permit program administered by the Division of Motor Vehicles. Towers engaged in commercial motor vehicle tow operations would need a two-year permit, background checks, a valid CDL, approved training, proper zoning, and required insurance, with permit denials and revocations subject to administrative appeal. The bill also prohibits commercial booting of commercial motor vehicles, makes unpermitted commercial towing an unfair trade practice, and expands possessory lien rights so a tower towing a commercial motor vehicle may also claim a lien on an attached trailer, while requiring release of certain personal items without charge. Several provisions address prompt return of commercial cargo and trailer exchange procedures.
The bill amends multiple statutes, including Chapter 143B, Chapter 20, and Chapter 44A, and directs the State Highway Patrol and DMV to promulgate rules, publish notices, and update application requirements. Most operational provisions take effect July 1, 2026, while the commercial booting prohibition takes effect December 1, 2025, and the trailer lien provision takes effect January 1, 2026. The bill also appropriates $10,000 in recurring funds beginning in fiscal year 2026-27 for administrative costs, stipends, and travel related to the new Commission.
Overall sentiment appears generally supportive and industry-focused, with the bill framed as a consumer- and safety-oriented effort to standardize towing practices and reduce disputes involving truckers and towers. The available legislative history shows no recorded votes or committee debate transcripts, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or amendment controversy in the provided materials. However, the bill’s fee-setting authority, permit requirements, confidentiality of rate information, and expanded lien rights suggest likely areas of concern for towing operators, trucking interests, and property-rights advocates.
HB 577 would add a new regulatory structure for commercial motor vehicle towing and recovery, affecting the State Highway Patrol, DMV, towing companies, trucking businesses, and law enforcement agencies. It amends Chapter 143B to create a commission and fee-dispute process, Chapter 20 to establish a permit system and prohibit commercial booting, and Chapter 44A to expand towing liens to attached trailers while protecting certain personal property from lien enforcement. The bill also requires rulemaking, notice publication, and administrative procedures that would change how commercial tow operations are authorized, priced, and enforced in North Carolina.
The bill’s overall tone is protective and regulatory, aiming to address towing practices affecting commercial truckers and to provide clearer rules for towers and law enforcement. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided context, the public legislative sentiment cannot be measured directly from debate, but the bill’s progression through committee suggests it was considered viable enough to advance. The title and structure indicate an effort to balance industry oversight with operational protections rather than to impose a purely punitive regime.
The main likely points of contention are the new permit and background-check requirements for towers, the Commission’s authority to define reasonable fee ranges, and the confidentiality of towing rate submissions. Towing operators may object to added licensing burdens, while trucking interests may support stronger controls on fees and cargo handling. The expansion of possessory liens to trailers, the prohibition on commercial booting, and the unfair-trade-practice designation for unpermitted towing could also draw debate from businesses concerned about enforcement costs, liability, and the scope of state regulation.