How do I Pay the Police Department for the Release of a Car?
States must keep the public safe; part of this duty involves ensuring streets are clear and traffic ordinances are followed. The police have the authority, pursuant to state law, to seize and impound vehicles, such as cars, if they are in violation of the law. A car is placed in a police impound lot when it is seized. Cars impounded are sold if left unclaimed over time. People must pay fines to get their cars out of the impound lot; often, other information is required. Typically, fines are paid directly to the police department.
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Instructions
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Contact the police station in the county where the vehicle was impounded. Ask the clerk where the impound lot is; sometimes the impound lot is at the police station, but not always. Ask what the impound lot hours are: Often, police stations have "business hours" for impound lots--usually Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
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Arrange for transportation to the impound lot. Take your driver's license, the ticket or citation issued, and a checkbook to pay the fine.
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Identify yourself at the impound lot and provide the officers with other information, such as the make, model and year of your car. If given a case number, relay that number to the officer.
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Tender a check for the amount of the impound (usually in the hundreds of dollars). Typically, the check is made out to the police department.
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Tips & Warnings
You may be able to look up the police station's impound procedure over the Internet. Police websites often list numbers to call, hours of operation, and how much it will cost to retrieve your car.
References
- Photo Credit Police image by Zeno from Fotolia.com
