Your car was towed by Sacramento police: release, fees, waiver and the 30-day impound hearing
After an SPD tow the car sits at a rotation company's yard, but you usually need a release document from SPD first.
General information, not legal advice. The papers you got from the police, the tow company, the storage lot or a state agency control your dates. Agencies change phone numbers and steps, so check the agency's own page too.
Find the car
Call SPD's non-emergency dispatch, 916-808-5471, any time, with the plate number. For a car removed by Code Compliance, call 311 or the same number.
Sources: SPD Towed Vehicles page; Code Compliance FAQ
Get the release document
The registered owner gets it at an SPD Records Public Counter: the Public Safety Center, 5770 Freeport Blvd., Suite 100, or the William J. Kinney Police Facility, 3550 Marysville Blvd. SPD checks the license of whoever picks up the car; an unlicensed owner must bring a licensed driver. The car needs current registration or a temporary permit.
Sources: SPD Towed Vehicles page
What you pay
Since January 1, 2024: a $180 release fee to SPD, and at most $235 for the tow (one-hour minimum) and $60 a day for storage to the tow company. The rotation agreement bars add-on fees such as postage, cleanup, lockout or dolly charges.
- Income-eligible City residents can ask for a waiver of the $180 SPD fee (since April 2022). It does not cover the yard's charges.
Sources: SPD Towed Vehicles page; 2024 Tow Rotation Services Agreement (sample); Fine and Fee Justice page
30-day impounds and the hearing
For a 30-day impound, the registered owner can call 916-808-6135 and leave a recorded message to request a post-storage hearing within 10 days of the date on the Notice of Stored Vehicle. It is held by phone within 48 business hours and reviews whether the officer had reasonable cause to tow.
Sources: SPD Towed Vehicles page; Vehicle Code section 22852
Check what the law required for your tow
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