Cobb County Vehicle Impound Guide

A car towed after a Cobb County DUI arrest goes to the wrecker company that holds the franchise for that police precinct, under CCPD Policy 5.19. The officer has no choice in which company to call. A stop in Smyrna or Vinings (Precinct 1) sends the vehicle to Barrow Wrecker Service at 2261 Dixie Avenue in Smyrna, 770-435-8945, which also stores vehicles seized under Sheriff's civil levies. A stop in Marietta or central Cobb (Precinct 3) goes to Marietta Wrecker Service at 950 Allgood Road, 770-422-6614. For the other precincts, call the police non-emergency line at 770-499-3900 to find out which lot has the car before driving anywhere.

Before the tow, the officer fills out an impound inventory of everything in the vehicle. That inventory is legally a records exercise, but anything illegal found during it, an open container, drugs, a weapon, becomes a new charge on top of the DUI.

Fees follow Georgia's Maximum Rate Tariff No. 5. The base tow for a standard car is around $175, and storage runs $25 to $35 a day with the first 24 hours free by statute. Retrieving the car fast is the only real lever on the cost. Marietta Wrecker Service releases vehicles Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., cash only. Plan on cash at any Cobb lot.

Release requires original documents: a government photo ID, proof of ownership by title, registration, or tag receipt, and proof of active insurance. A suspended license doesn't stop the release, but the car can't be driven off the lot without a licensed driver. When the owner is still in jail, someone else can retrieve the car with a notarized letter naming them, describing the vehicle by make, model, VIN, and color, and attached to a copy of the owner's ID. Getting that letter notarized inside the jail is slow, and every day it takes adds another day of storage.

If the vehicle is on an investigative hold because it's evidence in a serious crash or a fatality, no amount of paperwork at the lot will get it out. The owner has to get a signed police release form from the specific detective or unit handling the case at CCPD headquarters, then bring it to the lot. That form clears the hold only; the tow and storage bill is still owed.

After 30 days unclaimed, the vehicle is legally abandoned and the tow company can petition the Magistrate Court to foreclose its lien and sell the car. Once that petition arrives, the owner has to file an Answer to stop the sale. Anyone who thinks a tow was improper or overpriced can sue in the same Magistrate Court for up to $15,000, for about $60 to $74 plus $50 per defendant for service, waived for those who file a Pauper's Affidavit. Overcharging past the tariff or holding a car more than 24 hours after payment can also be reported to the state Department of Public Safety, which can fine a company up to $2,500 or pull its permit.