Vehicle Impound Information
If your vehicle has been impounded by the San Jose Police Department, you should contact the SJPD's Vehicle Records Unit at 408-277-4156. This Unit also handles questions relating to vehicles that have been repossessed, stolen or recovered and towed from private property. Contact the tow company directly to obtain property from your vehicle.
The SJPD Vehicle Records Unit is located at 201 West Mission Street, near the intersection of San Pedro and Mission Streets in San Jose, California. The Vehicle Records Unit is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
If you are interested in obtaining a vehicle release, the following conditions must be met:
- You must be the registered or legal owner of the vehicle.
- The vehicle must be currently registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
- You must have a valid driver's license or bring a licensed driver with you.
- You will need identification for yourself.
- A vehicle release fee of $120.00 is required. This fee must be paid in the form of cash, cashier's check or money order, payable to the City of San Jose.
Additional tow charges should be paid directly to the tow company. Standard tow fees are $110.00 for the initial towing, $36.00 per day storage fee, plus any additional handling charges. Tow companies will accept cash, personal check or credit cards as a form of payment.
If your vehicle has been towed because the driver was unlicensed or has a suspended license, the vehicle is subject to being held for 30 days. If held for 30 days, the vehicle may be released if the person driving the car at the time of the impound obtains a valid driver's license from the DMV.
If you received a “Notice of Stored Vehicle” - but no longer own the vehicle, you must file a Release of Liability form with the DMV. No contact with the SJPD is necessary.
For more information, contact the SJPD Vehicle Records Assistance Line at 408-277-4263. This line will not be answered between the hours of 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. Have your case number or vehicle license plate number ready.
SJPD Auto Desk Public Line (recorded message) – 408-277-4156
For more detailed information and additional circumstances regarding the towing (storing / impound) of vehicles, refer to the following link: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc22651.htm
Also, here is a link for vehicle impound information from the California Highway Patrol’s website:
http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/impound.html