NIGP 96890: Vehicle Towing and Storage

NIGP 96890 Vehicle Towing and Storage is an Item code encompassing law enforcement evidence towing and storage, municipal fleet towing and wrecker services, parking enforcement vehicle removal, and comprehensive roadside recovery operations that state and local governments procure on a widespread basis. State and local issuing bodies soliciting under this code include California Highway Patrol area offices, county sheriff's offices, city police and fire departments, county fleet divisions, municipal transportation authorities, school districts, and special districts. The work ranges from 24/7 emergency towing for evidence vehicles held in criminal investigations to scheduled removal of abandoned or illegally parked vehicles, multi-ton heavy-duty recovery, secure evidence storage with chain-of-custody procedures, and ancillary services such as lockout assistance, battery charging, and motorist assistance. Recent solicitations emphasize forensic towing capability, secure storage facilities meeting law enforcement standards, rapid response times (typically 15–60 minutes), and compliance with chain-of-custody and evidence preservation protocols for law enforcement customers.

The California Highway Patrol dominates recent activity under this code, with multiple concurrent IFBs for evidence impound tow and storage services across at least a dozen area offices (Alturas, Blythe, Dublin, Fort Tejon, Los Banos, Napa, Needles, Porterville, South Los Angeles, Central Los Angeles, Amador, Woodland) posted between April and July 2026, each with three-year terms and budgeted values ranging from $50,000 to $600,000. County sheriff's offices and municipal police departments in California, Florida, Georgia, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Michigan, Arizona, and Washington state are also active, with recent RFPs and RFQs for non-exclusive rotation towing (multiple awards to competing vendors), evidence storage, and municipal fleet support. School districts (Pinellas County Schools) and transit authorities (Orange County Transportation Authority) appear in the code. Geographic spread is concentrated in California and Florida, with secondary activity in Georgia, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Michigan, and Arizona. Representative recent opportunities include the California Highway Patrol's IFB #26C295002 for evidence impound tow and storage at the Amador Area office (due July 22, 2026, budgeted at $200,000 for January 2027–December 2029), the City of Atlanta Department of Transportation's IFB for on-street parking and curb management services (due August 4, 2026), the Orange County Transportation Authority's RFP 250257 for 24/7/365 emergency towing and recovery for transit and paratransit buses statewide ($435,000 over three years; pre-proposal conference May 6, 2026), and San Mateo County Sheriff's Office RFP 2026RFP00513 for towing, recovery, secure storage, and disposal services (due June 19, 2026, five-year term with three base years plus two option years). Rotation towing programs requiring multiple qualified providers operating on dispatch lists appear regularly (Clackamas County RFQ 2026-49A, Murray City Phase I and Phase II rotation lists, Sarasota exclusive contract). Evidence towing for CHP typically requires rotation provider status in good standing, at least 75 percent in-house performance, valid local business license, proof of liability insurance, and driver license and fingerprint clearance. Prevailing wage, DBE, and federal Transit Administration compliance requirements apply to select solicitations.