Many municipal police offices work with private tow yards rather than keeping their own on-site facilities in which cars are impounded. This can add further difficulty to the equation. Luckily, you have this brief guide at your fingertips. Throughout the course of this article, you will learn a bit about the situation of a police officer towing your vehicle.

Vehicle Related Crimes

If you have posed a serious risk to individuals, then your car may be towed. For example, if you were driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, were using your car as a deadly weapon, or used your vehicle in a drug crime, your car can be entirely forfeited to the state by a court order. Other crimes that do not carry the same weight as moving violations could lead to your vehicle being towed – such as an ample amount of parking tickets, for example, depending on the municipality – but this is not the same as police being able to impound or keep your vehicle for any length of time.

Immediate Release

Since police officers rarely have the right to keep your car for any period of time, you should ask for your car's release as soon as you can. This means right after you have spent time in jail or, in lesser cases, right after you have spoken to a police officer about the crime or citation you were involved in. It is important to note that the car will not be released to you if you do not have proof of your license or liability insurance. If the car is not currently equipped with valid plates, then you will also not be allowed to drive it off of the tow yard lot. Make sure you plan for these provisions.

Court Orders

If the police or tow yard that works in tandem with the police refuse to release your vehicle, whether they have legal justification or not, you will have to receive a court order in order to drive your car off of the lot. During this court hearing, you can also petition to have any impound or storage fees lifted.

Hopefully, this brief article has given you some idea of the relationship between having your car towed and the police. If your vehicle was towed by the police and you are having difficulty getting it removed from being impounded, it is highly recommended that you consult with a trusted attorney. Contact a towing services company for more information on the process.