North Carolina Cleveland CountyImpound

Cleveland County Vehicle Impound Guide

Impound Cost Calculator

$45/day*

Calculate how much it will cost to retrieve your vehicle from the impound lot in Cleveland County, North Carolina.

*Estimated fees shown for Cleveland County. Actual fees may vary.

Arrest Date (Vehicle Towed)

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Planned Pickup Date

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The First 48 Hours

After a DWI arrest in Cleveland County, your vehicle is likely towed to an impound lot. Storage fees accumulate daily, making time your biggest enemy.

Retrieval Timeline

1
Vehicle Towed
Usually within 30 minutes of your arrest.
2
Lot Notification
Fees and admin processing start immediately upon arrival.
3
Daily Accrual
Fees start at state averages in Cleveland County.
4
Final Notice
After 30 days, the lot may begin the auction process.

Required Documents

Valid Photo ID (License or State ID)
Vehicle Registration or Title
Current Proof of Insurance
Full Payment (Cash/Credit)
Release Authorization (if not owner)

Owner Not Present?

If the registered owner is in custody, you will need a notarized power of attorney or specific written authorization and a copy of their ID to retrieve the vehicle.

Lot Details & Map

Current storage facility information for Cleveland County. Verify your vehicle's location before traveling.

Lot Information Pending

Contact Cleveland County local dispatch for specific towing lot assignments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Richie's Body Shop, at 301 W. Warren St. in Shelby, handles most rotation tows for both the Shelby Police Department and the State Highway Patrol in Cleveland County — the release line is 704-484-9580. Emergency towing runs 24/7, but the administrative office that actually processes releases keeps standard weekday hours, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, closed weekends entirely. A car towed at 2:00 AM Saturday simply isn't coming out until Monday morning.

State law has closed off the worst of the old predatory practices. Lots can't bill a storage fee for any day they're not open between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM, and they can't start that clock until at least one full business day has passed since the car could first reasonably have been picked up. They're also required to take cash, debit, and credit, and processing fees are capped at 3% of what's owed.

Because a DWI arrest triggers an immediate 30-day license revocation, you can't legally drive your own car off the lot — you'll need a validly licensed friend or family member to come with you. If the car isn't yours, the registered owner has to handle the release themselves.

Not sure where your car ended up? The State Highway Patrol runs an online towed-vehicle search by VIN or plate number, though it can take up to 24 hours for a newly towed vehicle to show up in the system. Otherwise, call the arresting agency's non-emergency dispatch line directly.

If you think the tow itself wasn't justified, you can request a hearing before a local magistrate — but the window to file is short, and the burden falls on you to show the officer lacked probable cause for the impoundment, a high bar in an impaired-driving case specifically.