Knox County Vehicle Impound Guide
Impound Cost Calculator
Calculate how much it will cost to retrieve your vehicle from City of Knoxville Fleet Services Department Impound Lot in Knox County, Tennessee.
*Estimated fees shown for Knox County. Actual fees may vary.
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The First 48 Hours
After a DUI arrest in Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox County. Verify your vehicle's location before traveling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which agency made the arrest decides where the car ends up. Knoxville Police Department tows go to one centralized city lot; Knox County Sheriff's Office and Tennessee Highway Patrol tows scatter across dozens of private rotation companies with no central lookup — two completely different retrieval experiences depending on who pulled someone over.
For KPD arrests, the city's Fleet Services Department runs the lot at 3407 Vice Mayor Jack Sharp Road in East Knoxville, about 6 miles from the downtown jail and courts. It's open for release 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., seven days a week, which is genuinely useful — weekend retrieval doesn't require waiting until Monday the way many lots do. The city accepts cash, Visa, MasterCard, debit cards with a Visa emblem, company checks, cashier's checks, and money orders, but not personal checks. Fees went up in 2024 under Ordinance O-24-2024, the first real adjustment since 2001, and the city is strict on one point above all: release requires a valid government ID, proof of ownership, proof of insurance, and a licensed driver to physically drive the car away. Since a DUI arrest almost always means the owner's own license was seized, someone without a friend or family member nearby to make that drive can be stuck even with the money in hand.
For KCSO or THP arrests, there's no single lot and no public online list. Finding the vehicle means calling KCSO Records or the Teleserve unit at 865-215-2243, during business hours if possible — after hours, dispatch may be able to name the towing company but can't always confirm the location. A Friday night arrest can mean the vehicle's whereabouts stay unknown until Monday, by which point several days of storage have already accrued. Private lots also keep their own hours, often weekdays 8 to 5, and retrieving a car after hours frequently triggers an extra "gate fee" for the operator to come back and let someone in. Some private towers lean cash-preferred or add a credit card processing fee on top.
Need Help Beyond Impound?
If you're dealing with a recent arrest, here are immediate resources for release and legal help: