Moore County Vehicle Impound Guide
Impound Cost Calculator
Calculate how much it will cost to retrieve your vehicle from Howard C. Malpass Towing in Moore County, North Carolina.
*Estimated fees shown for Moore County. Actual fees may vary.
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The First 48 Hours
After a DWI arrest in Moore 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 Moore 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 Moore County. Verify your vehicle's location before traveling.
Howard C. Malpass Towing
Accepted Payments
Frequently Asked Questions
Moore County runs a two-tiered impound system, and which tier your car lands in depends entirely on your driving record. A standard, first-offense DWI means the vehicle goes to whichever private wrecker is up next on the Sheriff's Office rotation list — a local lot open 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM weekdays. But if you're driving on a license already revoked from a prior DWI, or you lack valid insurance, North Carolina law mandates immediate seizure, and the vehicle gets transferred within days to the state's contracted seizure facility, Martin Edwards & Associates, in Linden — a trip well outside the county for anyone trying to negotiate a release or grab belongings.
A 2024 legislative change closed a real loophole here. Towing companies can no longer run the storage-fee clock on a day they're not actually open for business between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM — so a car towed Friday night at a lot closed through the weekend doesn't quietly rack up two extra days of fees before anyone can even get there. The same law requires lots to accept credit and debit cards, not just cash, and caps card-processing surcharges at 2% of the amount owed.
If you're not the registered owner and the car gets seized, you face what amounts to an "innocent owner" gauntlet: a mandatory 24-hour wait before you can even start the release process, then filing form AOC-CR-330A, posting a bond equal to the vehicle's full fair market value, and signing an Impaired Driving Acknowledgement promising the defendant won't drive it again. Only after all back fees are paid does the clerk authorize release on form AOC-CR-332A.
If the defendant is also the registered owner, there's no pretrial release option at all — the vehicle stays impounded through the entire case, and a conviction sends it straight to auction, with proceeds going to the local school board.
One piece of good news: you can retrieve personal property that isn't bolted to the car — laptops, tools, house keys — from the Martin Edwards lot before the auction happens, as long as you can prove ownership.
Standard tow fees run $175 plus a $75 dolly fee where applicable. Release requires proof of ownership, a valid license, insurance, and the signed Impaired Driving Acknowledgement if you're not the defendant.
Need Help Beyond Impound?
If you're dealing with a recent arrest, here are immediate resources for release and legal help: