Huron County Vehicle Impound Guide

Most Huron County OVI tows land at Interstate Towing & Transport Specialist Inc. on Cleveland Road, which releases vehicles Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. — closed Sundays. Depending on where the arrest happened, the car might instead go to one of the county's secondary rotation lots.

The Police Hold Comes Before Anything Else

If the OVI involved an accident, a suspended license, or a repeat offense, the arresting agency can place an investigative or administrative hold on the vehicle — and no private tow yard will release it, no matter what paperwork or payment is offered, until a release form comes directly from that agency's records division. Getting that form has to happen before heading to the impound lot, or the trip is wasted.

A Second Driver, Not Just a Second Set of Keys

Release requires the legally registered owner to appear with valid ID, proof of ownership, and insurance — but an OVI arrest typically means that owner's license is suspended, so they can't legally drive the car away even after handling everything else. A second, validly licensed driver has to physically take the wheel. If the vehicle can't legally be driven at all — expired insurance, no valid registration, or serious collision damage — a mandatory "tow-out" by a second authorized vehicle applies, adding a $108 gate fee on top of everything else.

Weekend and After-Hours Retrieval Costs More

Interstate Towing's release office keeps business hours even though trucks run around the clock. Arriving after 5 p.m. on a weekday or on a Sunday triggers Ohio's statutory after-hours fee, capped at $150. Knowing one specific protection helps, though: if the owner arrives before the vehicle is actually removed from the property, state law requires the tow operator to release it on the spot for exactly half the standard towing rate.

Someone Else Picking It Up

If the registered owner can't be there — hospitalized, incarcerated elsewhere, whatever the reason — the tow yard requires a notarized letter explicitly naming the authorized proxy. Photocopies and digital images get rejected outright; the original stamped document has to be physically handed over, and the lot keeps it.

Disputing the Bill

A tow believed improper, or fees that exceed Ohio's caps ($144 base tow, $22 daily storage for a standard passenger vehicle), can be challenged through a civil action under Ohio Revised Code 4513.70, filed in Norwalk Municipal Court within 30 days of the bill.