Galveston County Vehicle Impound Guide
Impound Cost Calculator
Calculate how much it will cost to retrieve your vehicle from the impound lot in Galveston County, Texas.
*Estimated fees shown for Galveston County. Actual fees may vary.
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The First 48 Hours
After a DWI arrest in Galveston 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 Galveston 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 Galveston County. Verify your vehicle's location before traveling.
Lot Information Pending
Contact Galveston County local dispatch for specific towing lot assignments.
Frequently Asked Questions
There's no county impound lot in Galveston County. Police and the Sheriff use an incident-management tow list, a small set of vetted private storage yards, and your car goes to whichever one was on rotation. Find it through a regional "find my towed car" portal or by calling Sheriff's dispatch, 409-766-2322 for the island and 281-534-3515 for League City and the northern mainland. Two of the regular operators are Marty's City Auto on 44th Street in Galveston and Ace of Galveston.
What it costs
A light-duty tow is capped at $272, storage is $22.85 a day for a vehicle under 25 feet, and a $50 notification fee is added once the car sits past 24 hours. If the total time on the lot is under 12 hours, they can only bill one day even if it crosses midnight; yards try to charge two, so cite the TDLR 12-hour rule.
The insurance myth
Storage yards routinely tell people they can't release a car without proof of insurance. That's false. TDLR rules bar a yard from demanding insurance to release a vehicle. Bring a government photo ID and the title or current registration, pay the fees, and they have to hand the car over. Paying by credit card is smart: it gives you a chargeback path if the yard broke the fee rules.
If the owner is in jail
The yard won't release the car to a spouse just because they're family. The registered owner has to sign a notarized letter naming a specific person to pick it up. Since the owner is locked up, that means bringing a mobile notary into the jail. Doing this before the 24-hour mark also saves you the $50 notification fee.
Fighting the tow
If you think the tow lacked probable cause or the fees exceeded the legal caps, request a tow hearing within 14 days at the Justice of the Peace court for the precinct the car was towed from. The filing fee is $20, and the court has to hold the hearing within 21 days. Requesting a hearing doesn't let you take the car without paying, so pay to stop the storage clock and pursue reimbursement through the JP court afterward.
Need Help Beyond Impound?
If you're dealing with a recent arrest, here are immediate resources for release and legal help:
Legal Representation
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