Having a vehicle impounded is a frustrating and oftentimes costly experience, and understanding how to get your vehicle out of impound is crucial. A vehicle is usually impounded for one of two reasons. First, the vehicle may be parked in a restricted parking zone. Second, unpaid tickets may be associated with the vehicle. There are specific strategies to employ to get your vehicle out of impound.

Pay Tickets

Resolve any unpaid tickets. Before you even set foot at the impound lot, pay any overdue and outstanding tickets that caused the vehicle to be seized and impounded in the first instance. If you are unsure of what tickets are unpaid, call the impound lot. The staff at the lot will have basic information about where the tickets causing the impound were issued. In most jurisdictions, you go to the clerk of the court to pay the past-due tickets. In most cases, you will not be able to pay off these tickets directly at the impound lot. (A small number of jurisdictions do have a system in place through which you can satisfy the past-due tickets directly at the impound lot.) The clerk will give you an official receipt that you take to the impound lot to verify that you have satisfied these past-due tickets.

Pay Impound Fee

In addition to paying any past-due tickets, you also will face an impound fee. Keep in mind that the impound fee increases (sometimes dramatically) with each passing day. Therefore, your financial interests are best served if you deal with the matter of an impounded vehicle immediately. An impound lot will accept cash or a credit card in most cases. However, more often than not, an impound lot will not accept a personal check.

Identification

You must present an appropriate government-issued identification card to retrieve your vehicle from impound. Additionally, if you intend to drive the vehicle off the impound lot yourself, you need to prove that you have a valid driver's license. In many cases, a government-operated impound lot--a sheriff's impound, for example--will confirm the validity of your driver's license before you are able to take it off the lot. Therefore, if you do not have a valid license, bring along an individual with you who does have driving privileges.

Source:

City of Tempe Police Department: Vehicle Impound

Maricopa Police Department: Vehicle Impound

Utah Department of Motor Vehicles: Impounded Vehicles

More Information:

Denver County Sheriff: Vehicle Impound Facility

City of Omaha: Vehicle Impound Facility