Hawkins County Vehicle Impound Guide

Hawkins County has no central impound lot. When you were arrested, the officer called the next wrecker on a rotational dispatch list, and the arrest paperwork often doesn't say which company took the car. To find out, call the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office non-emergency dispatch, or the arresting agency directly if it was city police such as Rogersville PD. Do it right away, because storage charges start compounding at midnight.

The rotation contractors:

• Myers Towing and Recovery, 233 Melinda Ferry Road, Rogersville, (423) 225-3016, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Hilltop Auto and Towing, 3863 Hwy 11W, Rogersville, (931) 536-3116
• Casper's Body Shop and Wrecker, Rogersville, (423) 639-0893
• Treadz Tire and Towing, Mount Carmel, (423) 357-4551, usually dispatched for arrests on the eastern end of the county near Church Hill and Kingsport
• A1 Towing and Recovery, Greeneville base, (423) 620-9384, often used during saturation-patrol weekends when local lots fill up

Tennessee Highway Patrol caps what a rotation operator can charge. Storage cannot exceed $40 a day for vehicles at or under 7,000 pounds GVWR, or $80 a day above that. A release or administrative fee during business hours cannot exceed $100, and the lot cannot charge a gate or access fee at the same time it charges daily storage during business hours. That last one is where operators try to double up. Ask for an itemized bill and push back on anything that doesn't match. Storage also can't be billed past 21 days without your consent or a lienholder's, unless a law enforcement hold is on the car, and it can't be charged for any day the car wasn't actually available for release.

To get the car you need proof of ownership, a government photo ID, current registration, and proof of insurance. Your license was almost certainly taken at the arrest, so you can't drive it off the lot yourself. Bring a licensed driver.

Rural yards keep hard hours. Many close for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. and stop processing releases about 30 minutes before closing. Show up at 4:45 for a 5:00 close and you may be told to come back tomorrow, plus another day of storage. Call first and confirm the release clerk is there.

If the DUI involved a crash, an injury, or serious property damage, the investigating agency, often the THP Critical Incident Response Team, can place an evidentiary hold. The lot cannot release the car until that agency sends a written release. Work that through the lead investigator, not the tow yard.