No matter where you live, you have specific laws you must follow. When you park illegally or violate the law, you might end up with an impounded car. Once the vehicle is towed away it gets taken to an impound lot. Depending on the agency that hauled it away you might find yourself in a bit of a bind. That’s why we’ve put together the steps you need to follow when your car is impounded.
Let’s make two things clear. It might seem like the towing company stole your car or that your rights have been violated, but the process of impounding a car is protected by law. Impound lots are legal places of business and stealing your own car from an impound lot is a criminal offense.
Remember that we’re not attorneys and this article is not legal advice. If you need legal advice, consult an attorney.
Why Would a Car Get Impounded?
Among other reasons, the police have the right to seize your car if it was illegally parked, stolen, involved in a crime, or abandoned on property that isn’t yours.
There are plenty of reasons you might end up with an impounded car. The first isn’t as severe as others but simply has to do with where you parked. Maybe you parked illegally or in a spot that wasn’t yours. In these situations, the property has the right to have your vehicle towed at your expense.
How Much Does It Cost to Get a Car Out of Impound?
There’s no set price on what it will cost to get your car out of the impound lot. It’s going to depend heavily on the reason it was impounded in the first place. The size, type and condition of your vehicle will also play a part.
Fees related to an impounded car include:
Towing and transport fees ($300+)
Impound lot release fee ($75 to $300+)
Storage fees ($100+ per day)
Many impounded vehicles are subject to a release fee. This can range anywhere from $75 to $300. Then, you face the towing charges incurred in getting the vehicle there in the first place – these could be up to $700. If your vehicle is undrivable, you might also have a flatbed fee. Finally, you face storage fees that can add over $100 per day, depending on local laws. Plus, you have any citations or tickets you incurred which led to the car being impounded in the first place.
Will Insurance Cover These Fees?
Probably not. If your car was involved in an accident or stolen, your insurance company might cover some of the bill. It won’t, however, cover towing costs for law violations or parking infractions. It’s worth asking but the answer is likely no.
How Long Can a Car Be Impounded?
Each state has its own laws regarding how long your car may be impounded. Once that timeframe is up, it is sent for auction. Once it is submitted for auction, you can still retrieve it, but expect to pay even more unless you attend the auction and buy it yourself.
How Long Before You Can Get Your Car Back From Impound?
If your car gets impounded, don’t expect to get it back quickly. Most impound lots have turnaround times of 12 to 24 hours for processing their inventory. They might also be closed on weekends and holidays. Their business office might even be in a different location than your car.
Do You Need Insurance to Retrieve Your Car From Impound?
Yes, but not for that reason. You must show proof of insurance if you plan to drive your vehicle away from the impound lot. Insurance is required for any car to be registered and driven on public roads in the country. If you don’t have insurance when your car is impounded, you’ll need to start coverage before you drive it home or arrange for it to be transported.
4 Steps to Get Your Car Out of Impound
Once your car has been impounded, you will want to follow certain steps to get access to your vehicle once again. The process remains the same regardless of what the reason was you faced impound in the first place.
1. Locate your car
If your vehicle has been impounded while it was parked, you probably have no idea where it went. Start by calling the local parking authority. They will have a record of it by license plate number or VIN. You might not find it right away as their records take a few hours to update at times. If you don’t show up in the system immediately, contact them a little later.
You could also call the non-emergency police number. They would know if your car had been towed due to a parking violation. Make sure you never call 911 to ask if your vehicle was towed. This wastes emergency resources and isn’t appreciated – it could even be illegal.
You could also ask people in the area if they saw anything. If you were parked on private property, the business might have had you towed and would know where your car is – or at least which towing company took off with it.
2. Collect some information
Once you find your car, it’s time to collect everything you need to get it released. Find out why it was impounded, what the yard requires to release your car (like a mandatory waiting period), and how much it will cost before you do anything else.
Sometimes, you need to wait for the release. Ask them when the vehicle will be processed and what the impound lot’s hours are. Get clear facts about where you should go to pick up the car. You might have to visit their offices first before you are given access to your vehicle. Sometimes, this is at a different location than the lot.
Most times, you’ll need your driver’s license plus a valid insurance card. If you are picking up the vehicle for someone else, you’ll need their driver’s license number and a notarized letter authorizing the pickup.
You also want to make sure you know what form of payment they take. If you need to have cash, credit card or a check with you, it’s essential you figure that out in advance.
3. Pick up the car
When you go to pick up your vehicle, you need to schedule out plenty of time. It’s likely you’ll have to wait as many impound lots are busy. Not only that, but many of those people are frustrated and lines don’t move quickly.
Take your car keys with you! That might sound obvious, but you wouldn’t believe how many people forget to grab them on their way out of the door. After all that waiting, it would be a shame if you couldn’t drive away!
Once you get to the office, you’ll have to complete some paperwork with the agent. If you can muster up the strength to be respectful and kind, your trip should go easier. Remember these agents deal with angry, frustrated people all day long, and they aren’t the ones that impounded your car.
Next, you’ll have to pay the fees. You should already know the price if you followed step #2 of our list. Once that is complete, the impound attendant will take you to your car and you’ll be able to drive away.
4. Find out why it happened
Your next order of business should be to address the reason the car was impounded. Is it something that could get the car impounded again? Was it a one-time thing?
Chances are, whatever the reasoning was that your car was impounded in the first place, you likely won’t do it again. Watch where you park, obey traffic laws and avoid committing crimes in your car so you don’t ever have to wonder what to do when your car is impounded again.
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We are not attorneys. This article is not legal advice. Cover image source
About the Author
Brian Jones is an ASE Certified Master Tech that lives outside of Dallas, TX with his wife and children. He has a passion for old muscle cars, big pickup trucks and anything motorsport related. In his spare time, he does a lot of traveling and writing for dealerships across the country through CarBlogWriters.com.