Wayne County Vehicle Impound Guide

Wooster-area police rotate OVI impounds between a handful of private operators, most often Big Reds Towing and Wayne County Towing LLC on Cleveland Road. Confirming which one actually has the car means calling the records division of the arresting agency — Wooster Police Department's non-emergency line, for instance — since most defendants aren't in any state to register the tow company's name at the scene.

Ohio caps the base tow fee at $129 and the daily storage rate at $17, both maximums under PUCO regulation. Many lots close their release window strictly from noon to 1 p.m., and arriving right at closing time often isn't enough — if the paperwork and payment can't clear before the register closes for the day, the release rolls to the next morning, and since storage bills by the calendar day, that delay alone triggers another full $17 charge. Arriving by 4:30 p.m. leaves enough buffer to actually finish the process same-day.

Only the Registered Owner Walks Out With the Car

Tow yards won't release a vehicle to anyone but its formally registered owner, regardless of who was actually driving. If the owner can't be there in person, a notarized letter of authorization can let someone else collect it — but that has to be confirmed by phone with the lot manager before showing up, not assumed. Even when the vehicle itself can't be released, Ohio law still guarantees the owner the right to access it during business hours just to retrieve personal documents.

A hold tied to vehicular assault charges, or mandatory immobilization for a repeat offender, blocks release entirely — no amount of cash at the window changes that. Getting the vehicle back requires going through the municipal court first, paying any impoundment fees there, and obtaining a Notice of Immobilization Compliance (BMV Form 2268) to hand over at the tow yard.

A Hidden Discount for Fast Arrivals

Ohio law includes a real but little-known protection: if the owner reaches the scene after the tow truck has hooked up the vehicle but before it actually leaves the property, the operator has to offer release for half the standard removal fee — roughly $64.50 instead of $129 — and must accept a credit card for it unless mobile service is down. Catching the truck before it pulls away can save real money.