Your car was towed by the City of San Diego: finding it, fees and the 10-day hearing
City tows in San Diego are dispatched through AutoReturn and stored by contracted impound companies. Start by finding the car, then count your days.
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
Search AutoReturn online, email service-sd-ca@autoreturn.com or call 619-527-4392. AutoReturn covers only City of San Diego tows. If the car is not there, call SDPD's non-emergency line, 619-531-2000. SDPD says processing can take at least three hours.
Sources: SDPD Vehicle Impounds and Towing
What you pay
The City's Tow Impound Cost Recovery Fee is $115 per impound (from July 1, 2025). The impound company charges towing and storage on top of that; the City has not published its current tow and storage rates. Bring the registered owner's ID and a driver's license.
Sources: FY2026 User Fee Schedule; SDPD Vehicle Impounds and Towing
Ask for a post-storage hearing within 10 days
Everyone whose car is towed by the City can have a post-storage hearing. Call SDPD Tow Administration at 858-495-7830 or mail back the notice within 10 days of the date it was mailed. The hearing is by phone, and SDPD says it decides within 48 hours, not counting weekends and holidays.
Sources: SDPD Vehicle Impounds and Towing; San Diego Municipal Code sections 82.33-82.35
If the tow was invalid
If the hearing finds the tow invalid, the City pays the impound fees. If you already paid, contact the Public Liability Division at 619-236-6670 for a refund. A claim against the City must be in writing and, for most claims, filed within six months.
Sources: SDPD Vehicle Impounds and Towing; City Risk Management, Public Liability
Unpaid tickets
Low-income registered owners can ask for a parking-citation payment plan that waives late fees and penalties except state surcharges. It does not cover tow or storage charges.
Check what the law required for your tow
Last checked .