Why a DUI Vehicle Impound Happens
A car often leaves the scene on a tow truck after a DUI arrest. That tow can be an ordinary removal or a formal hold, and the difference decides how soon the owner gets it back. So the first step in any DUI vehicle impound question is to learn which rule the officer used.
Vehicle Code section 22651 lets officers remove a vehicle when they arrest the driver and take that person into custody. That removal is often short. A longer hold follows other rules.
When a DUI Vehicle Impound Lasts Longer
Vehicle Code section 14602.6 covers drivers whose privilege was already suspended or revoked, and drivers who never held a license. It also covers a driver on a restricted license under certain sections whose car lacks a working interlock device. In those cases the statute sets a 30 day impound.
The same section requires the impounding agency to mail notice to the legal owner within two working days. Lenders and leasing companies often learn about the tow that way.
Finding the Car and the Agency
Start with the release papers or the officer’s card. Then call the arresting agency and ask three things.
- Which tow company holds the car
- Whether the agency placed a hold on release
- What documents the agency needs before it signs a release
The tow yard usually wants proof of ownership and a valid driver license from whoever picks it up. Because the arrested driver may not have a valid license after the arrest, another licensed driver often has to collect the car.
Fees and Owner Responsibility
Under section 14602.6 the registered owner pays towing and storage charges for that kind of impound, along with certain administrative charges. Storage costs grow each day the car sits. Yet no general article can quote a figure, since yards and agencies set their own rates.
Ask for an itemized receipt. It belongs with the other records described in the guide on DUI evidence preservation.
Storage Hearings and Early Release
For a 30 day hold under section 14602.6, the registered and legal owners can ask for a storage hearing. That hearing looks at whether the storage was valid and at any mitigating facts.
The statute also lets a lender or dealer that holds the legal title recover the car early in some cases. That path depends on conditions in the statute, so the lender should read them directly.
Getting Around While the Car Is Held
A DUI vehicle impound often lands at the same time as a license problem. Even with the car back, the driver may not have a valid privilege to drive it. The article on transportation after DUI covers rides, transit and timing while that question stays open.
Keep each call log and receipt in one folder. A DUI vehicle impound can involve the agency and the tow yard. A lender may also keep separate records.
Meanwhile, the article on DUI booking process steps explains what happens at the jail.