Towing in Oakville

The Province of Ontario has oversight of the tow truck sector, including vehicle storage yards, under the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act (TSSEA) and its regulations.

Tow operators, tow truck drivers, and storage yard operators must be certified to operate in Ontario. Find out how to get certified.  

Complaints can be directed to the Ministry of Transportation through their online form, by email at towing@ontario.ca, by telephone at 416-246-7166 or toll-fee within Ontario at 1-800-387-7736. 

Parking enforcement on private property by the Town of Oakville may be requested online using the Report a Problem tool.

Towing Without the Vehicle Owner’s Consent

On December 16, 2024, Town of Oakville Council passed By-law 2024-187, a by-law to regulate the towing of any vehicle from land without the consent of the vehicle owner. By-law 2024-187 applies to private property, including parking lots, and municipal property. 

By-law 2024-187 comes into effect on February 28, 2025

Council has directed staff to provide a review of the effectiveness of the new by-law in one year. For more details, please read our news release.

Under By-law 2024-187 (pdf), only Town of Oakville enforcement staff, municipal law enforcement officers (MLEO) appointed by the town, or police officers may arrange for the towing or impounding of a vehicle without the consent of the vehicle’s owner. 

Before a tow can be performed, a penalty notice must first be issued, followed by a mandatory half-hour waiting period. The waiting period is intended to discourage predatory and/or fraudulent towing practices. Exceptions to the half-hour waiting period include 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.

Please contact ServiceOakville for information on the appointment of MLEOs by the town. 

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