Sullivan County Vehicle Impound Guide
Impound Cost Calculator
Calculate how much it will cost to retrieve your vehicle from the impound lot in Sullivan County, Tennessee.
*Estimated fees shown for Sullivan County. Actual fees may vary.
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The First 48 Hours
After a DUI arrest in Sullivan 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 Sullivan 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 Sullivan County. Verify your vehicle's location before traveling.
Lot Information Pending
Contact Sullivan County local dispatch for specific towing lot assignments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sullivan County has no central police impound lot. The Sheriff, the Highway Patrol, and the city departments all work off a regional wrecker rotation list, so dispatch calls whichever private company is next when your car is towed. The officer fills out a Vehicle Tow-In Report that names the specific lot holding it. To find out which one, call the arresting agency's records or dispatch line. For a Kingsport Police stop that is Kingsport PD Records at 423-434-6160, option 2. For a Sheriff or THP arrest, call county dispatch.
To get the car back you need a valid government photo ID, proof of ownership, meaning the title or a current registration, and proof of insurance. If the person arrested was not the registered owner, the owner has to come in person, or complete a third-party release form with a copy of their ID and the VIN.
Tennessee law gives you real leverage on the bill. Storage fees do not start until 24 hours after the tow, so if you can retrieve the car inside that first day you pay no storage at all. A tow company cannot charge a gate or release fee during normal business hours if it is already billing daily storage. It cannot charge storage for any day the lot was closed and you could not have picked the car up, such as a Sunday, unless police put an evidentiary hold on it. And as of a 2024 change to state law, the release fee itself is capped at $100 no matter what. Check the invoice against these rules.
Two practical traps. Many of these lots are small operations that lock the office for lunch, usually noon to 1:00, with no releases during that hour even while the trucks keep running. Call ahead and plan to arrive before 11:30 or after 1:30. Payment is cash, credit, or certified funds; the larger regional companies take Visa, Mastercard, and Discover.
There is one situation where paying the lot does nothing. On a second DUI, or if you were driving on a license already revoked from a prior DUI, the vehicle is not just towed, it is seized under state forfeiture law and control passes to the Department of Safety Legal Division. If you were handed a Notice of Seizure at the arrest, the local lot cannot release the car. You have to contact the Department of Safety's Knoxville office at (865) 594-6519 to start the forfeiture claim.
Need Help Beyond Impound?
If you're dealing with a recent arrest, here are immediate resources for release and legal help: