Towed in Phoenix: finding your car and getting it back

The city's tow contracts are split by police precinct:²

Call the tow company to find out which lot has your car and what you owe, and whether the car has a mandatory impound period. The lots have to be open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday. They're closed Sunday and on nine city holidays, and coming outside those hours brings an after-hours charge. Questions go to the police Vehicle Impound Unit, 602-495-2096.³

Go straight to the tow lot with:³

• the title or registration, to prove you own the car (if it's inside the car, you'll be let in to get it);
• payment: the city requires its tow companies to take cash, Visa and Mastercard;
• a tow truck of your own if the car can't be driven. Working on a car at the lot isn't allowed.

Someone picking up for the owner needs an official government photo ID, a valid driver's license, a written statement signed by the owner naming them, and a photocopy of the owner's government photo ID.³

Don't go to the tow company first. Call the Public Records and Services Unit, 602-495-2096, for release information.³ The unit is at 100 W. Washington St. and is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, closed most holidays. Releases are issued during those hours only.⁴

Most impounds under Arizona Revised Statutes section 28-3511, such as for driving on a revoked license or without ever having been licensed, last 20 days.⁵ The car can come out early in a few cases set by state law, for instance once an owner who was driving gets the license reinstated, or if the car was stolen.⁶

To get it back:¹

1. Pay the police an administrative fee of $150.00, by cash, cashier's check or money order payable to the City of Phoenix, and show a valid driver's license, current registration and proof of insurance. You get a release form.
2. Take the release to the tow company and pay the towing and storage there, by cash, money order, certified check or card. Storage is limited to $25.00 a day. Show proof of who you are and that you own the car.
3. Claim it within 10 days of the date it's available, or the tow company may apply for an abandoned title.

An impound under Phoenix City Code 23-55 follows the same steps, with the same $150 fee,⁷ and its storage can't exceed $15.00 a day.³

A post storage hearing decides only whether the impound was valid, and you don't need one to get an early release. The registered owner, the owner's spouse or the lien holder can ask within 10 days of the date on the impound notice, by phone at 602-495-2096, by fax at 602-262-1863 or in writing to the Vehicle Impound Unit. It's free and held by phone. If the impound was improper, the police pay the towing and impound fees.⁸

Point out damage or an overcharge to the tow company's staff before you take the car, pay, keep a detailed receipt and take photos. If a supervisor can't settle it, write to the police Tow Contract Liaison with the Tow Complaint Form and copies of your receipts.³