How to get your car released from impound in Los Angeles County
How do I get my car out of impound?
How do I get my car out of impound?Did your car get towed in Los Angeles County? The best way to get your car out of impound is for the driver to show the police:-
- A valid California driver's license
- Proof of insurance
- And registration for that car.
The police department will release your impounded car prior to the end of 30 days’ impoundment if the driver reinstates his license or acquires a California license and insurance.
We can help with your impounded car problems in Los Angeles. Call us to speak to a Los Angeles Traffic Ticket Attorney at (310) 285-1516 for a Free Legal Consultation.
If your car was impounded for unpaid parking tickets, see Unpaid Parking Tickets below.
Search: How do I check if my car was impounded in Los Angeles?
Follow this link to search by your license plate number to see if your car has been impounded in an official police garage in Los Angeles:
No drivers license? No insurance?
You must reinstate or acquire a California driver's license and insurance. The police department will release your impounded car prior to the end of 30 days’ impoundment "if the driver reinstates his or her license or acquires a California license and insurance".
Why was my car impounded?
Suspended license
The police officer can have your car towed away and impounded for 30 days if:-
- You get pulled over and your license is suspended, revoked, or expired (See Suspended License and VC 14601.1 Driving on Suspended License)
- Or you don’t have a California license (VC 12500).
Unpaid parking tickets
If your car was impounded in the city of Los Angeles because of unpaid parking tickets we cannot help you in this situation.
You will require a Vehicle Release Order from the Parking Violations Bureau. Please go to this website for assistance Los Angeles Parking Violations Bureau
Lending your car to someone
If you let someone borrow your car and their license is suspended or they don’t have a California license, your car can still be towed away and impounded, even if you didn’t know about their suspended license.
Costs: California impound fees
How much does it cost to get your car out of impound?
You will be responsible for all towing and storage charges, and any administrative charges authorized under Section 22850.5 (see California Impound Laws below).
Towage and Storage Rates for the city of Los Angeles
The following website lists impound fees for cars impounded in the city of Los Angeles:-
Suspended License for an FTA?
We can help get your car out of impound
Was your car impounded because your license was suspended for a Failure To Appear in court (FTA)? We can help you clear this FTA and try to get your license reinstated as fast as possible in order to get your car out of impound.
Please call us immediately to speak with a Los Angeles Traffic Attorney for advice (310) 285-1516.
California impound laws
VC 14602.6 vehicle impoundment
The Law in California - see: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=14602.6.
California Law says the following under Vehicle Code Section VC 14602.6 :-
Vehicle Impoundment: Suspended, Revoked, or Unlicensed Driver: Hearing
Vehicle Impoundment: Suspended, Revoked, or Unlicensed Driver: Hearing14602.6. (a) (1) Whenever a peace officer determines that a person was driving a vehicle while his or her driving privilege was suspended or revoked, driving a vehicle while his or her driving privilege is restricted pursuant to Section 13352 or 23575 and the vehicle is not equipped with a functioning, certified interlock device, or driving a vehicle without ever having been issued a driver’s license, the peace officer may either immediately arrest that person and cause the removal and seizure of that vehicle or, if the vehicle is involved in a traffic collision, cause the removal and seizure of the vehicle without the necessity of arresting the person in accordance with Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 22650) of Division 11. A vehicle so impounded shall be impounded for 30 days.
(d) (1) An impounding agency shall release a vehicle to the registered owner or his or her agent prior to the end of 30 days’ impoundment under any of the following circumstances:
(E) When the driver reinstates his or her driver’s license or acquires a driver’s license and proper insurance.
(2) No vehicle shall be released pursuant to this subdivision without presentation of the registered owner’s or agent’s currently valid driver’s license to operate the vehicle and proof of current vehicle registration, or upon order of a court.
(e) The registered owner or his or her agent is responsible for all towing and storage charges related to the impoundment, and any administrative charges authorized under Section 22850.5. 
Impoundment Hearing
You are entitled to have an Impoundment Hearing at the police station regarding your impounded car:-
Vehicle Code 14602.6 (b)
The registered and legal owner of a vehicle that is removed and seized under subdivision (a) or their agents shall be provided the opportunity for a storage hearing to determine the validity of, or consider any mitigating circumstances attendant to, the storage, in accordance with Section 22852.
Is the impounded car "community property"?
Two registered owners
If the impounded car is the only car a husband and wife have, and they both own it, if you can show the police this community property interest you might be able to get the car released under VC 14607.6.
California Vehicle Code Section 14607.6
The Law in California - see: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=14607.6.
California VC 14607.6 states that :
(2) If there is a community property interest in the vehicle impounded pursuant to subdivision (c), owned at the time of impoundment by a person other than the driver, and the vehicle is the only vehicle available to the driver's immediate family that may be operated with a class C driver's license, the vehicle shall be released to a registered owner or to the community property interest owner upon compliance with all of the following requirements:
(A) The registered owner or the community property interest owner requests release of the vehicle and the owner of the community property interest submits proof of that interest.
(B) The registered owner or the community property interest owner submits proof that he or she, or an authorized driver, is properly licensed and that the impounded vehicle is properly registered pursuant to this code.
We can help with your impounded car problems in Los Angeles County
Call us to speak with a Los Angeles Traffic Ticket Attorney for a free legal consultation to discuss how we can help you (310) 285-1516
Please note: If your car was impounded in the city of Los Angeles because of unpaid parking tickets we cannot help you in this situation. You will require a Vehicle Release Order from the Parking Violations Bureau. Please go to this website for assistance - Los Angeles Parking Violations Bureau
See also:-