Towed Vehicles - NYPD

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Property Clerk

Towed Vehicles

Police Auction

Motor Vehicle Collisions Reports

Non-Injury Vehicle Collisions

FAQs for Critical / Fatal Injury Collisions


Towed Vehicles

Cars may be towed for various reasons by several different government agencies, including the NYPD, the city marshall, and the sheriff. Vehicles that are illegally parked are usually taken to the Tow Pound in the same borough from which they were towed. Tow Pounds are located in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. If your vehicle was not towed or relocated, it may have been stolen. Your local precinct can assist you in determining if your vehicle was towed, stolen, or relocated because of a parade, demonstration, or street fair.

If your vehicle was towed as a result of an investigation or arrest, please refer to the Return of a Vehicle and Auto Pounds pages.

More information about towed vehicles is available on the Department of Finance website.

Find a Towed Vehicle

Retrieving a Towed Vehicle from an NYPD Tow Pound

When retrieving a towed vehicle, bring the following items with you to the Tow Pound:

Current vehicle registration certificate

Valid driver's license

Current insurance card for the vehicle

Vehicles may only be released to the registered owners, their spouses, or their authorized representatives. In order to be considered an authorized representative for the vehicle's owner, the representative must have authorization in writing, with the notarized signature of the registered owner. A vehicle will not be released if there are parking judgments against it. You must pay the judgment amount to the Parking Violations Bureau before redeeming your vehicle. Parking tickets cannot be paid at the tow pound.

Towing Fees

The towing fees are:

Regular Tow fee: $185.00

Heavy Duty Tow fee: $370.00

Overnight Storage fee: $20.00

Immobilization Devise (Boot): $185.00

NOTE: If the vehicle is not redeemed on the same day that it was towed, an additional overnight storage charge of $20 will be charged each night the vehicle is held at the Tow Pound.

The accepted forms of payment are:

Cash

Certified Check - payable to New York City Police Department

ATM Bank Debit Card that allows withdrawals from checking accounts only*

Money Order or Traveler's checks

Discover, American Express, MasterCard, and Visa credit cards*

*Debit/credit card must be in the name of the individual who is retrieving the vehicle.