January 2002
Training Bulletin

Wrecker Vehicle Requirements
The Department of Public Safety is charged with the responsibility to license, supervise, govern and control (regulate) wrecker vehicles and wrecker towing service. DPS encourages local law enforcement to seek criminal! charges especially for unlicensed wreckers when appropriate and advise DPS of those charges and violations of Wrecker rules for appropriate administrative action. A copy of Wrecker Rules can be obtained by contacting Department of Public Safety Wrecker Services @ P.O. Box 11415, Oklahoma City, OK 73136.
All vehicles that are equipped with any device designed to tow another vehicle or combination of vehicles (wrecker or wrecker vehicle) must be licensed by the Department of Public Safety.

 

Exceptions

1.  Wreckers which are used to tow the owners vehicles. Must have NOT FOR HIRE (47 §951 6. a.) plainly visible in letters of at least (2) two inches on either side. Proof of ownership (Bill of Sale or Registration) should be with vehicle and available upon request by law enforcement. Will also have to comply with 47 § 1133.1 D. (Name of Business or Commercial Vehicle permanently and prominently displayed on vehicle)
2.  Vehicle Transporters. 47 § 1-181 Every person engaged in the business of delivering vehicles of a type required to be registered hereunder from a manufacturing, assembling or distributing plant to dealers or sales agents of a manufacturer or from the place of business of a dealer, sales agent or auto auction to a place of business of the same or another dealer, sales agent or auto auction. These vehicles operate under the authority of the Corporation Commission and will have appropriate documentation.
3. Where the service is performed in conjunction with the transportation of household goods and property.
4.

The wrecker is owned by the United States government, the State of Oklahoma, or any department or political subdivision thereof

The department sets minimum requirements for wreckers, equipment, insurance, storage lots and etc.

 

Licensed wreckers are readily identified by

1.

Name of Wrecker Company in (2) two inch letters on each side
2. Department of Public Safety (DPS) number on each side
3.

Wrecker License (vehicle specific) carried in wrecker with year sticker:
         See page 2 - Figure #1.
4.

Wrecker sticker displayed in lower right windshield. Sticker indicated G for general M
for Law enforcement rotation. See page 2 - Figure #2.
5.

Metal Wrecker license plate in lieu of commercial vehicle license (tag) 47 § 1134.3
         See page 2 - Figure #3. Except Proportional.

Possible Criminal Violations

47 § 953 A. Make service call without wrecker license.
47 § 953 A. Failure to properly display wrecker license number on vehicle.

Possible Criminal Violations associated with removing vehicles from private property

47 § 954 E. Failure to maintain tow request form for at least one year.
47 § 954 E. Failure to send required tow request form to (DPS) (local P.O.).
47 § 954 F. Failure to notify vehicle owner of location of towed vehicle.
47 § 954 G. Tow vehicle before completing tow request from.

Illegal Wreckers (non licensed) may be a safety factor in that the wrecker and towing device have not been inspected. They possibly do not have insurance. Illegal Wreckers could possibly be towing stolen vehicles or illegal repossessed vehicles.

47 § 958 Penalty for Violating Section 951 et seq. One hundred Dollars ($100.00) or imprisonment for not more than thirty (30) days In the county jail, or both such fine and imprisonment.

47 § 1110.c Failure to remove injurious substances from (highway) (right-of-way) (accident location)
(c) Any person removing a wrecked or damaged vehicle from a highway, highway right-of-way or any other location as the result of an accident shall remove any glass or other injurious substance dropped upon the highway or highway right-of-way or other location from such vehicle. The owner or insurer of the owner of the vehicle shall be responsible for the cost of removal of the glass or other injurious substance.