Gwinnett County Vehicle Impound Guide

Gwinnett County runs no impound lot of its own. A DUI tow goes to whichever private company holds the contract for that police precinct, and the two that handle most of the county are Statewide Wrecker Service and Lance Wrecker Service. Statewide operates lots in Lilburn at 263 Luxomni Road NW, Norcross at 2775 Simpson Circle, and Gainesville at 2315 Murphy Boulevard, covering the southern, western, and northern ends of the county respectively. Lance Wrecker Service, at 300 Maltbie Street in Lawrenceville, works the central county and the city of Lawrenceville, and its paperwork is often enough to release a vehicle without a second stop at a police station.

There's a way to avoid the impound lot entirely in some cases. If the driver is present and the situation isn't an emergency, Gwinnett County Police policy requires the officer to offer the "owner's request" option, meaning the owner can call their own wrecker or an auto club. The officer typically allows 20 to 30 minutes for that tow to arrive before defaulting to the zone contractor. Taking that option skips the impound lot's storage and administrative fees completely.

Statewide fees are capped by Georgia's Maximum Rate Tariff No. 5. The base removal fee for a standard car is $228. Storage is $33 a day, but nothing for the first 24 hours from the time of the tow, so retrieving the car quickly is worth real money. There's a $65 after-hours release fee and a hard $91 cap on all administrative and notification charges combined. A separate "gate fee" for opening the lot is not authorized at all. Bring cash; most Gwinnett impound lots refuse cards for release regardless of what state law allows.

Releasing a car takes three things in original form: a government photo ID, proof of ownership by title or current registration, and proof of active insurance. A suspended license doesn't block the release, but it does mean bringing a licensed driver to actually drive the car off the lot. If the car was towed specifically for no insurance, a policy has to be bought and the binder shown before it leaves.

A vehicle held under an investigative hold, meaning it was collected as evidence in a serious crash or a felony, is a different situation. The tow company legally cannot release it. The owner has to go to Gwinnett County Police headquarters at 770 Hi Hope Road, identify the unit holding the car, and get a signed vehicle release form first. That form clears the legal hold only; the towing 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 at auction. Anyone who believes a tow was improper, whether over bad signage or charges above the tariff, can file a claim in that same Magistrate Court for up to $15,000, at a cost of about $60 to file plus $50 per defendant for service, waived for those who can't afford it.