Tennessee reforms vehicle booting laws

Rep. Jake McCalmon, R-Franklin, discusses a bill to create a Tennessee report on crime committed by immigrants who are not legally in the state. ©State of Tennessee

(The Center Square) – A $75 cap on how much a company can charge for removing a boot from a vehicle will go into place July 1.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed House Bill 1731 into law Tuesday that prohibits booting unless an individual is licensed through a local government. To boot a car in a commercial parking lot, a licensed parking attendant must be present, identifiable as an employee and available to remove the boot within 45 minutes of a driver’s call.

Vehicle owners must be properly notified if their vehicle is being towed, sold or demolished by a towing company and, if the towing process has begun but the vehicle hasn’t left the parking area, the bill requires towing companies to release vehicles to the owner for a fee of no more than $100.