Gillespie County Vehicle Impound Guide

An officer doesn't need a warrant to have a DWI arrestee's car towed in Gillespie County. The Community Caretaking doctrine lets them impound a vehicle any time it can't be safely left roadside and no other licensed driver is available to take it. Before the tow truck arrives, officers conduct an inventory search of the vehicle's contents, documenting everything from the glovebox to the trunk. That search is legally separate from a criminal investigation, but it can turn into one fast: anything illegal found during inventory becomes evidence, and a routine DWI tow has turned into a drug possession case more than once.

Which company actually tows the car depends on a non-preferential rotation list the county maintains specifically to prevent any single towing company from getting preferential treatment. West Central Towing & Recovery, based along the US 290 corridor, and Tic Tac Towing both handle a share of these rotation calls, and dispatch simply works down the list in order.

Getting the vehicle back requires proof of ownership through a title or registration, a valid photo ID, and payment of the tow and storage fees, which typically run $200 or more for the tow itself plus $30 to $50 per day in storage. If the vehicle hasn't been flagged as evidence, the Sheriff's Office can issue a Release Form confirming that, which the tow company will usually want to see before handing the keys back. Without it, expect a delay while someone confirms the car isn't being held for an ongoing investigation.