Alamance County Vehicle Impound Guide

Dale's Towing is one of the primary rotation vendors Burlington and Graham agencies dispatch to a DWI scene, but it isn't the only one — Alamance Towing & Auto Repair also handles a share of local rotation tows, and the two companies' lots sit on the same street, Durham Street Extension in Burlington, close enough that families regularly pull into the wrong gated facility before realizing it. Checking the exact company name printed on the arresting officer's paperwork before driving anywhere saves a wasted trip. For a State Highway Patrol tow specifically, the agency's own online Towed Vehicle Search tool works by VIN or plate.

Release hours matter more than they might seem. Dale's lists 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, but showing up at 4:45 doesn't guarantee processing — staff need real time to locate and pull the vehicle before closing, and lots generally ask for a call at least 30 minutes ahead of arrival. Cutting it close enough to miss the window means an extra night of storage added onto the bill for no reason beyond bad timing. Payment at these lots is cash or card only; checks aren't accepted for impound releases.

The release itself only goes to the vehicle's legally registered owner — if the person arrested for DWI was driving someone else's car, they can't retrieve it themselves even with valid ID. The actual owner has to either show up in person or send a formally designated agent with a notarized release letter or power of attorney specifically authorizing that person to take possession.

A meaningfully worse process applies under North Carolina's "Runyon's Law" if the driver was already revoked from a prior DWI, or was unlicensed and uninsured — the officer is legally required to seize the vehicle outright, regardless of who actually owns it. It sits briefly at a local lot before transferring to a state contractor, typically Eastway Wrecker in Charlotte or Martin Edwards & Associates in Linden depending on the routing. Getting it back means petitioning the Alamance County Clerk of Superior Court, proving "innocent ownership" if the owner wasn't the driver, and securing a formal court order — and even then, the owner remains on the hook for every dollar of towing and storage that accrued before release. A vehicle that's never retrieved gets sold at auction, with proceeds going to the local school board.

Anyone who believes a tow — seized or routine — lacked legal justification can request a hearing before the Alamance County magistrate in Graham, who's required by statute to schedule it within 72 hours of the request; getting the car back before that hearing resolves generally requires posting a bond with the tower equal to double the accrued fees.