Taylor County Vehicle Impound Guide
Impound Cost Calculator
Calculate how much it will cost to retrieve your vehicle from Taylor County Sheriff Dispatch in Taylor County, Texas.
*Estimated fees shown for Taylor County. Actual fees may vary.
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What comes next after a Texas DUI arrest
SR-22 insurance
A DUI in Texas often means an SR-22 must be filed before your license is reinstated.
Texas SR-22 guideDUI classes
Courts and the DMV usually require an approved alcohol education program in Texas.
DUI school guideIgnition interlock
Depending on your offense, Texas may require an interlock device to drive again.
Interlock guideThe First 48 Hours
After a DWI arrest in Taylor 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 Taylor 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 Taylor County. Verify your vehicle's location before traveling.
Taylor County Sheriff Dispatch
Accepted Payments
Frequently Asked Questions
A car sitting unclaimed at the Abilene Police Vehicle Impound on Sandy Street is on a clock most families don't know about. Once the lot sends a certified notification letter, the vehicle can be declared abandoned after 10 days if nobody with authority claims it. A second notice follows, then a 30-day wait, and after that the city can sell it at public auction, often through an online auction platform, to recover the towing and storage debt. Anyone stuck in jail on a high bond, or without the cash to retrieve the car quickly, is genuinely at risk of losing the vehicle entirely while the criminal case is still pending. Retrieving the car needs to happen alongside bail, not after it.
The billing math that overcharges people
Storage runs $22.85 a day, billed by calendar day rather than a 24-hour period, with one exception: if the total time on the lot is under 12 hours, even across two calendar days, only one day can be charged. A car towed at 10 p.m. and picked up at 8 a.m. the next morning falls inside that window and should be billed once, not twice. Plenty of families never check the math and simply pay whatever the lot bills.
No, they can't require insurance
It's illegal for a private storage facility, or for local law enforcement, to demand proof of auto insurance as a condition of releasing a car. Getting it back legally just requires a valid ID plus an accepted release instrument, a notarized power of attorney, a court order, a certificate of title (even if the person presenting it isn't the name on the title), or a current lease agreement. A lot that insists on seeing insurance anyway can be pointed to the Texas Occupations Code and threatened with a complaint to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which actively enforces against storage-facility licensing violations.
Challenging the tow
If the tow lacked probable cause or the fees exceeded the state maximums, there's a 14-day window, excluding weekends and holidays, to file a written Tow Hearing request. It goes to the Justice of the Peace court covering the precinct where the car was originally parked or towed from, not where the owner lives, and costs $41 to file. Miss the 14 days and the right to contest the tow is gone for good.
Need Help Beyond Impound?
If you're dealing with a recent arrest, here are immediate resources for release and legal help: