Unlike police rotation lists or exclusive city contracts (the Contract Towing tab), PPI needs no rotation, no RFP, no contract. A registered tow truck operator may impound at the direction of the property owner or their agent (RCW 46.55.080). You clear the state RTTO/WSP gate either way — once that's done, PPI is sign-an-account-and-go. Mary's Towing already holds Mukilteo and Mill Creek, and most other agencies need a branch lot, so PPI is the only thing you can start day one from the Mukilteo yard.
The binding constraint is dwell time, not slot count
A 10-slot yard that turns over every ~2 days does 100+ tows/month; the same yard full of junkers waiting 15 days for auction does maybe 20. The whole game is selecting accounts that produce fast-redemption vehicles and refusing the ones that produce slow movers.
| Item | WSP base (Class A) | PPI cap | PPI max |
|---|
| Tow (hourly) | $297/hr | 135% | ~$401/hr |
| Storage (daily) | $75/day | 135% | ~$101/day |
| After-hours release | $148.50 | 100% | $148.50 |
If you impound a junker, you may receive only compensation equal to the approximate scrap value — and you eat a dead slot for ~15 days until auction. Those accounts are poison for a small yard.
Take — fast redemption, owner pays and leaves
• Multifamily / apartment enforcement — permit/decal parking, fire lanes, reserved stalls. Highest volume in the catchment; residents redeem within 24–48 hrs because they need the car for work.
• Retail / restaurant / bar / mixed-use lots — patrons who park and leave. Mostly same-day redemption, plenty of release-on-the-hook that never hits the yard.
• Tenant-only commercial / paid lots, HOA & condo guest parking.
Refuse or rate-gate — they clog the yard
Lots that mainly generate abandoned or scrap-value vehicles. Every car that sits to auction kills a slot for half a month.
1. Residential property (≤4 units) needs NO signage
RCW 46.55.070's posting requirements do not apply to residential property — the person in charge may have an unauthorized vehicle impounded immediately upon giving written authorization. Duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, small rental houses: owner signs, you tow, no sign install. Non-residential lots (big complexes, retail) DO require compliant posted signage before patrol-towing.
2. Release-on-the-hook (drop fee)
If the owner shows before you leave the property, you drop the vehicle for a reduced fee with no storage — pure margin, zero yard consumption. Note: a fixed-dollar drop fee is not set in statewide RCW 46.55 (some local ordinances cap it, commonly ~half the tow rate) — confirm the local cap before setting your rate sheet.
Every private impound authorization must carry: "A person authorizing this impound, if the impound is found in violation of chapter 46.55 RCW, may be held liable for the costs incurred by the vehicle owner." Build clean authorization forms + indemnification into property-owner contracts — wrongful-tow liability is the main risk in PPI.
SignageNon-residential: post at each entrance (firm name/phone/address + impound hours), signs ≥ 15″×24″. Residential (≤4 units) exempt. — RCW 46.55.070 / WAC 308-61-145
AuthorizationSigned authorization required at the time/place of each impound; operator may NOT be the owner's agent; liability statement mandatory. — RCW 46.55.080
Prohibited actsNo kickback from the property controller, no financial interest in the authorization, no impound-incentive programs. Gross misdemeanor. — RCW 46.55.035
Rates & contractFile fee schedule with DOL; written property-owner contract stating hours/who-may-order/charges, retained 3 yrs. — RCW 46.55.063
Rate caps135% tow / 135% storage / 100% after-hours. — RCW 46.55.118
RedemptionAccept cash / major bank cards / WA-branch checks; 24/7 release within reasonable time. — RCW 46.55.120 / .060
StorageNearest WSP-inspected lot on your DOL application; secure area; personal property retrievable 20–30 days. — RCW 46.55.090 / WAC 308-61-158
Owner noticeNotify legal/registered owners by first-class mail within 24 hrs. — RCW 46.55.110
BootingProperty owner may not immobilize another's vehicle. Gross misdemeanor. — RCW 46.55.300
NOT statewide law — do not treat as state requirements
Photograph-before-tow, authorizing-agent-must-be-present (with fire-lane/disabled/15-ft-hydrant exceptions), a fixed 1-hour police-notice window, and a fixed-dollar drop fee are
local-ordinance features only — they do not appear in statewide RCW 46.55 or WAC 308-61. The statewide analogs are the per-tow signed authorization (46.55.080) and immediate radio/phone notice in
RCW 46.55.100.