Dallas County Vehicle Impound Guide

Two clocks start the moment a car is towed after a DWI arrest in Dallas County. One is the storage bill, which compounds every day. The other is the 14 business day deadline to request a tow hearing under Chapter 2308 of the Texas Occupations Code, the only way to challenge whether the tow was justified or whether the fees are correct. Business days exclude weekends and holidays. Miss that window and the right to a hearing is usually gone, leaving payment in full as the only way to get the car back.

File in the right place

The hearing request goes to the Justice of the Peace precinct where the storage lot sits, not the precinct where the car was towed from or where you live. Filing in the wrong precinct can get the request dismissed while the deadline passes. The Dallas Police Auto Pound is at 1955 Vilbig Road; the contracted Peak Auto Storage lots are at 11211 Goodnight Lane in North Dallas and 4206 East Ledbetter Road in South Dallas. Confirm the lot address, then check the county precinct map. Filing costs about $54, and if a constable has to serve the towing company, roughly $80 more, so budget around $134 unless you file a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs.

Find the car

Dallas uses AutoReturn to dispatch and track police tows. The lookup is at search.autoreturn.com. City police impounds for accidents, criminal holds, and insurance violations usually go to the Auto Pound on Vilbig Road, which releases vehicles 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week including holidays. Higher-volume traffic impounds often go to a Peak Auto Storage lot, and those release around the clock. That matters, because getting the car out before midnight or within the first 12 hours can save a full day of storage.

The fees

For a city-initiated tow the towing charge runs about $125 to $150. A tow from private property can go up to the state cap of $272. Storage is $22.85 a day for a vehicle under 25 feet, set by the state and adjusted for inflation every two years. On top of that is a one-time $22.85 impound fee for processing the vehicle, and a $50 notification fee once the car has been on the lot more than 24 hours and the state notice is mailed. A car sitting two days can rack up storage plus both one-time fees, which front-loads the cost.

The 12-hour rule

A storage lot can charge for any part of a day the car is on the lot, with one exception. If the car is stored less than 12 hours but the period crosses two calendar days, such as arriving at 11 p.m. and leaving at 8 a.m., the lot can only charge one day. Lots do not always apply this correctly, so check the math on an overnight tow.

What you need to get it out

Bring a physical, original government photo ID. The Dallas Police Auto Pound accepts the Matrícula Consular. Bring proof of ownership: a title in your name, a current registration receipt, a DMV registration printout if ownership changed in the last 30 days, or a notarized bill of sale if the title transfer is in progress. All towing, storage, impound, and notification fees have to be paid in full before release, with no partial payments. The Auto Pound takes cash and Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express, but the cardholder has to be present with a matching photo ID.

The insurance requirement

Under Dallas City Code Section 28-4, the Auto Pound will not release a vehicle to be driven off the lot without proof of active insurance for that specific vehicle, matching the VIN. Digital proof on a phone is accepted if the details are visible. If you cannot show insurance, you can still get the car, but it has to leave on a hookup. You pay a licensed wrecker to tow it to private property, and you cannot drive it out yourself. The Auto Pound will not waive fees for lack of insurance. This requirement is waived only for a lienholder repossessing the car, an insurer settling a claim, or an auction buyer.

Getting your belongings

State law gives you the right to retrieve personal property from the car without paying the tow or storage fees first. That covers essentials, medication, child car seats, clothes, and the ownership documents you need for release. It does not cover anything attached to the vehicle, such as wheels, batteries, or an installed stereo, and not the car itself. You show ID and proof of ownership to get access, and the lot cannot charge a fee for it.

If you cannot pay

The full balance is due at release, and Texas storage lots are generally not required to offer payment plans. If the tow itself was improper, a hearing can order the fees refunded, and the court filing fee can be waived with a Statement of Inability. Some owners walk away from a car worth less than the bill, but that can still leave them owing the difference after the car is auctioned. A negotiated title surrender to the lot, in exchange for wiping the fees, avoids the drawn-out abandonment process.

The auction clock

If fees go unpaid, the lot sends a first notice and then a final notice. Thirty days after the second notice, the vehicle can be sold at public auction. The City of Dallas holds auctions roughly every other Monday, often through Lone Star Auctioneers. If the car sells for less than what is owed, the lot may bill the registered owner for the shortfall.