How to pick up a car from an impound lot: what documents are needed, how much does it cost, is it possible without payment, without insurance, after drinking?

Everything you need to know about how to pick up a car from an impound lot

The decision to evacuate a vehicle is made by a traffic police officer. There is a list of rules, if they are violated, the car, no matter where it is, will be loaded onto a tow truck and taken away. The most common situation is when the car was parked incorrectly. The reason may also be the transportation of oversized cargo.

When evacuation occurs, this means that the culprit will have to pay a fine, pay for the work of transporting the car and compensate for the costs of storing it in a special parking lot.

To be allowed to pick up the equipment, you need to contact the traffic police department, whose inspector made the decision to remove the vehicle.

A tow truck can be public or private, an example could be “Tow Truck Don” or others.

Some useful tips for the road

If you arrive at the parking lot and do not find your car, then most likely it is in the impound lot. You can confirm your suspicions by calling 02.

If you find your car at the time of drawing up the protocol with the act of transferring the car, then you have the opportunity to pick up the car right on the spot without incurring additional costs.

Please note that evacuation of a vehicle is unacceptable if there are people in it. You don't have to leave the car, then it won't be touched. But keep in mind that you may be prosecuted for refusing to comply with the police request.

If it so happens that the car has already been taken to the impound lot, and there were important documents in it, then you will have to spend a lot of time getting to your car and picking up the documents. First, you need to go to the impound lot, fill out a car autopsy report, get the necessary documents, and then the car will be stamped in front of you. Next, you need to go to the traffic police department with the documents, and from there return to the impound lot to pick up your car.

What do you need to pick up your car from the impound lot?

First of all, you need to obtain permission. It is issued by the traffic police inspector.

You need to come to him with the following list of documents:

passport;
driver's license;
vehicle registration certificate;
if the owner’s representative came, he must have a power of attorney;
OSAGO insurance policy.

The list of required documents can be checked online. The inspector will issue a resolution on an administrative offense based on the previously drawn up protocol.

It is necessary to pay all previously accrued fines (as many as there were). After this, a permit is issued to release the car from the impound lot.

To receive a car you need to present a driver's license, vehicle registration certificate, and compulsory motor liability insurance policy. You must have your car keys with you. After issuing a receipt for payment for tow truck services, the car will be unsealed and handed over to the recipient.

How to pick up a car from a parking lot: step-by-step return instructions

To return the vehicle, the driver must:

Find out the location of the vehicle. To do this, you need to call the police and report the model, make, registration number plate and the place where the vehicle was left;
Receive from the traffic police a copy of the arrest report with an official’s mark authorizing the return of the car. It is necessary to present the inspector with a driver's license, passport and OSAGO insurance policy. You can pay the fine during your visit to the department or 60 days after completing the protocol;
Show the parking lot employee a copy of the protocol, driver's license, passport and receipt if the fine has already been paid.

If the documents are left in the car, then you need to arrive at the impound lot and contact its employees about gaining access to the car. A report on the autopsy will be drawn up, after which you will be able to pick up the documents to present to the administration of the impound lot.

Eliminate the reasons for the detention why the car was taken away

The permit issued by the inspector contains a note stating that the reasons for the detention have been eliminated. Receiving a car is only possible if you have this mark.

For example, the reason may be an expired MTPL policy. Then, to receive the car, you need to issue a policy and present it to the inspector.

Damage during transportation will have to be compensated

How to pick up a car if the owner has died

If the car was taken to a special parking lot and the car owner died, then the legislation provides the opportunity to remove the vehicle from the parking lot to the heirs of the deceased person. However, legal successors will be able to do this if they have legally entered into the inheritance. Since a notary issues a certificate of the right to inherit a vehicle after a 6-month period from the date of opening of the inheritance, persons must obtain from the notary a corresponding certificate stating that, in an open inheritance case, they are the legal successors of the evacuated vehicle. Based on this certificate, legal successors will be able to return the vehicle from the impound lot.

So, the successor, in the event of the death of the car owner-testator, must proceed as follows:

Accept inheritance property on the basis of law or a testamentary act.
Obtain a certificate from a notary that confirms his ownership of the vehicle.

Attention! If the successor cannot independently carry out the procedure for preparing documents, then he can trust this to another person. The representative will act on the basis of a power of attorney certified by a notary.

What documents are needed to return the car?

To receive a car that was taken by the traffic police, you need to submit the following package of documents:

Permission from the traffic police inspector to release the car from the parking lot.
Passport.
MTPL insurance policy, correctly issued.
Documents that prove that the car is taken by its owner. For example, for this you can prepare a DCP (purchase and sale agreement).
A driver's license, without which you cannot drive.
If the owner is a legal entity, then you need a waybill and a power of attorney from the company. It may be general.

It is not necessary to receive the vehicle yourself; you can send your representative. At the same time, he will have to present, in accordance with all the rules, a completed power of attorney, which gives him the right to pick up the car.

A vehicle registration certificate (often called STS) is usually used as title documents. You must also have car keys.

Cost of parking and towing a car

Before picking up the car from the impound lot, the owner will have to pay not only a fine for violating traffic rules, but also the services of a tow truck with a parking lot. How much it costs to keep a vehicle under guard depends on the region, as well as its technical characteristics. For example, Moscow motorists will have to pay the following prices in 2021:

3,000 rubles for an engine capacity of no more than 80 liters;
5,000 rubles for an engine with a volume of 80-250 liters;
7,000 rubles for a vehicle with an engine capacity of more than 250 liters;
27,000 rubles per truck.

It is important to remember that it is better to pick up the vehicle immediately after evacuation, otherwise you will have to pay 500 - 3000 rubles for every day of downtime. At the same time, the capital’s legislation contains an article stating that only full days are paid. It is worth being more careful when checking the legality of the detention and the accrual of fines. In addition, do not forget to take receipts, which may be useful to clarify the circumstances of the evacuation.

How to find out which impound lot your car is in. Where to call?

Every city has helpline numbers for evacuation services. It should be taken into account that in large cities there may be several of them. Information about the location of the car can be obtained after a visit to the traffic police department. Sometimes it is possible to find a car using the information provided online.

You need to be careful when loading

The car was towed along with the documents for the car.

Many car owners have to find themselves in a similar situation, and it brings little joy, since it is not only troublesome, but also costly. If this is exactly what happened to you, then instead of the traffic police department you need to immediately go to the impound lot.

In your presence, the parking attendant will draw up a protocol for opening your car and removing the documents you need from it. Next, the protocol is recorded and certified by signatures, after which your car must be sealed and remain in this condition until your return. Now you need to take the documents and go to the traffic police department, and from there you will have to return to the parking lot to pick up your car.

In most large cities, these two objects are located at a considerable distance from each other, sometimes at different ends of the city. Therefore, be patient in advance, as this process will require a lot of time and money.

How much does it cost to pick up a car from the impound lot?

In order to get your car back, you need to pay off the debts for its maintenance. They include payment for towing and the cost of keeping the vehicle in the impound lot.

The first amount, for example, in Moscow, ranges from 500 to 3000 rubles. The minimum amount is payment for storing the motorcycle. 1000 rub. it costs to maintain a passenger car. For a truck the cost is twice as much - it is 2000 rubles. Storing oversized vehicles is the most expensive. In this case, you will have to pay 3,000 rubles for each day.

For the first day after the vehicle is taken away, the impound lot will not take money. The price for towing a passenger car, for example, is 5,200 rubles, provided that its power is 80-250 hp. For more powerful cars or trucks, the tariff will be higher.

It is believed that the maximum amount of payment according to the law is 116 thousand rubles. If the car has not been picked up for a long time and the cost of maintaining it has reached this value, then it will not increase any further.

If the car has been parked for a long time, then in order to pick up the car, you will need to pay off the debt in full. If the driver does not have the required amount of money, he can enter into an agreement with the towing service on staged payment.

It is recommended to provide documents confirming your low income level. These may include a certificate from the place of work, bank loan documents, a certificate of alimony payment, a certificate of unemployed status from the employment center and others.

How much does a parking lot cost?

To better imagine what expenses you will have to incur as a result of towing your car to an impound lot, let’s give the cost of an impound lot using the example of the city of Moscow:

Category A, B – 3 thousand rubles
Category B – 5 thousand rubles
Category B – 7 thousand rubles
Category D – 27,000 rubles

Keep in mind that if you come to pick up your car on the second day or later, you must pay the impound fee first. The cost of maintaining a car can range from 500 to 3,000 rubles. per day of downtime .

Redemption of a vehicle from impound lot

The decision to evacuate is made by the inspector.
The situation when the driver refuses to pick up the car from the parking lot is not provided for by the rules.

This is due to the fact that if the car is stored for a long time, the amount of debt can grow significantly and exceed the value of the vehicle.

If the driver tries to do this, he may be sued to collect the debt. Therefore, you need to buy a car as early as possible in order to reduce the amount of costs.

Sometimes it is possible to agree on payment in installments, but to do this you need to convince the towing service that the owner’s income level does not allow him to pay the entire amount at once.

How to pick up a car from an impound lot after an accident

Sometimes a car may end up in a parking lot after an accident. The algorithm of actions and costs in this case depend on the specific situation. But in any case, it will be necessary to write an application for the release of a car addressed to the chief of police.

If the car is seized for investigative measures, then the costs of its evacuation and storage are borne by the budget; the driver does not have to pay for them. In this case, the owner’s task is to call the traffic police often and find out how soon it will be possible to pick up the car. The reason for this persistence is the possible presentation of a bill for storing the car in the impound lot after the completion of the examination. As soon as permission to return the vehicle is given, you need to obtain the appropriate document from the traffic police and pick up the car.
If the car is detained after an accident due to an offense (driving under the influence, lack of documents, etc.), then the issuance is carried out in the usual manner (described above).

If the situation is not entirely clear, and they refuse to return the car, it makes sense to hire a proven, reliable auto lawyer and resolve the issue according to the law. The fact is that for long-term storage of a vehicle in an impound lot, a very large sum can be incurred. Therefore, you should not delay returning the car in a doubtful situation.

After an accident, a car can also be picked up not only by the owner, but by any person included in the current MTPL policy or who has a notarized power of attorney from the owner (as well as all the necessary documents for the vehicle).

How to pick up a car from a parking lot in various cases?

There are strict rules regarding when you can pick up a car from an impound lot.

Various situations are possible in life, but you must always follow the requirements of the law. Below we consider several options for how to pick up a car from an impound lot after an arrest.

Without car documents

When a car is suddenly towed, it often happens that documents remain in the car. After all, when leaving a car, a person, as a rule, does not take them with him. How to pick up a car from an impound lot without documents? When the owner returns, he no longer has a car or documents (driver’s license, STS).

How to pick up a car from an impound lot without a license - in this situation, you can do the following:

Arrive at the impound lot.
Write a statement requesting that the car be opened.
Workers will open the car and remove the necessary documents. They will be handed over to the owner of the vehicle.
The car will then be sealed again.

After this, the owner will receive documents with which he can apply to the traffic police.

No car owner

In this case, his legal representative has the right to pick up the car. At the same time, he must have a properly executed power of attorney, documents for the car, passport, driver’s license, and car keys.

This is the only way to pick up a car from an impound lot without the owner. If you have the listed papers, the authorized person will be able to pick up the car at any time.

Without payment

Motorists are invariably interested in the question of how to pick up a car from an impound lot without paying. When a car is towed, you need to pay a fine, pay for the evacuation service, and compensate for the costs of using the impound lot.

Until 2021, it was possible to get a car only after paying off all these debts. In 2021, changes were made to the legislation that made it possible to change this procedure.

Now you can pick up a car without depositing money, regardless of how long it has been parked, and pay off the debt later.

Administrative legislation establishes an exact deadline for paying fines - 60 days.

The ability to defer payment is convenient for motorists who are not always able to collect the required amount on the first day.

Without insurance

We'll tell you how to pick up a car from an impound lot without insurance. Getting insurance is necessary in order to drive a car. If the insurance contract has expired and has not been continued, you will have to pay a fine of 800 rubles for driving without it. In some cases, numbers are taken away.

However, there are a few exceptions.

If your insurance has recently expired, you can pick up the vehicle as usual. However, the right to drive is valid only for one day.

The rules stipulate that after the expiration of the insurance policy, you are allowed to drive with it for 30 days.

In the event that this period is greater than the specified value, driving without insurance is prohibited. For this they may be deprived of their rights. To avoid losing your license, there is an expensive way to use a tow truck.

The car is delivered on it to the place where the insurance contract is concluded. With the new policy, you are allowed to drive yourself.

At night time

The parking lot is open 24 hours a day and throughout the year. Therefore, you can come and pick up your car at any time, including late at night, in September, January or another month.

In this case, all procedures necessary to issue the vehicle will be carried out.

Without a power of attorney

Only its owner has the right to pick up a vehicle after it is seized. If he cannot come, he must issue a power of attorney for his representative.

It happens that the owner died and did not issue this document. In this case, you must wait until the heirs take ownership of the car. How can I pick up my heir’s car from the impound lot?

After receiving the inheritance, he will be able to appear for the vehicle using his documents. Receiving a car after evacuation is not a GTA game; it follows strict rules.

After an accident

Evacuation from the scene of an accident
Cars can end up in a parking lot for various reasons. One of them is participation in an accident. During the paperwork and investigation after an accident, in some cases there is a need to seize the car and place it in an impound lot.

Once the need for the car to stay at this address has been exhausted, it can be picked up at any time convenient for the driver.

To pick up a car from the impound lot after an accident, you need to have all the necessary documents. However, it may happen that no one comes for the seized vehicle. In this case, it will be sold, and the proceeds will be spent on paying the necessary compensation to the victim.

It is important to note that in this case the owner does not pay for storing the car in the parking lot.

After drinking

If you need to pick up your car from the parking lot, this should be done as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more the fee will increase. If the driver is in a drunken state, he can send another person for the car, for whom a power of attorney must be issued.

If this is not possible, then there is only one way for a drunk to pick up a car from the impound lot after drinking, if he wants to. It is necessary to take all measures to quickly sober up and go get the car yourself. In this case, the owner must pay a deposit of 30,000 rubles, otherwise the car will not be issued.

Cost of evacuation

The tariff payment for the service includes only the costs of transporting the car and its security. In the regions of the Russian Federation, evacuation tariffs vary significantly. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the rate is always higher than in other cities, since there is no unified system for car movement, and this issue is dealt with by the regional authorities. Payment occurs only for the full 24 hours.

In 2021, the cost of evacuation is 1000 - 3000 rubles:

Loading and transportation 2,000 - 3,000 rubles (passenger car, motorcycle), 27,000 rubles - truck;
Payment for impound parking is 30 - 60 rubles per 1 hour (from the second day);

Payment of an administrative fine ranges from 500 to 3000 rubles.

Transportation and security of the car, depending on the engine power and the maximum permissible weight of the car according to the category classifier, also affect the payment (in rubles):

A and B (80 hp) – 3 thousand;
B (250 hp) – 5 thousand;
B (more than 250 hp) - 7 thousand;
D (trucks) – 27 thousand.

If the driver quickly returns the car from the impound lot, he will avoid large financial expenses for car security, which is free for the first 24 hours.

Free parking for the first 24 hours only! If the owner refuses to pay for car security services at the impound lot, the company administration will go to court, which will lead to even greater costs. Therefore, the issue of returning the car must be resolved within 60 days.

In what cases can they refuse to issue a car due to the actions of the car owner?

Refusal to issue may be due to the lack of necessary documents, which are mandatory in this case. Then you need to collect the missing ones and come again.

They will not release the car to the owner if he arrived drunk or did not pay bail after being detained while intoxicated.

The inspector is required to draw up a protocol

They refuse to issue a car to a person (not the owner) who does not have a power of attorney and is not included in the OSAGO policy.

Sometimes during the evacuation process the car could be damaged. This needs to be documented and evidence of deterioration in appearance. In this case, the parking lot is obliged to pay compensation.

If she does not admit her responsibility, there may also be a delay in the issuance. If the car is faulty or has not passed inspection, it may also not be issued.

In what cases does a tow truck take a car to the impound lot?

are reflected in Article 27.13 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation can be the basis for towing a car .

Wrong parking location;
Failure to present documents confirming the right to drive a vehicle at the time of the inspector’s call;
Inoperative condition of the steering or brake system;
Transportation of dangerous goods in the absence of special signs and necessary permits;
Other violations provided for by the Administrative Code.

Illegal detention of a vehicle

Sometimes the car is taken away, but in fact there was no violation. In this case, you need to challenge the drawn up protocol. To do this, you should contact the head of the traffic police department with a complaint drawn up in accordance with the sample. The manager has 10 days to respond. If he does not respond properly, the citizen can file a lawsuit.

The basis for a complaint may be not only a false accusation, but also other reasons, for example, errors made when drawing up the protocol. In this case, the owner of the car must have a photo or video confirming the violation.

How to appeal the towing of a car to an impound lot?

Appealing an official administrative decision is a citizen's legal right. No one can deprive a motorist of this right. However, you need to understand that the complaint will be carefully studied.

A positive decision is possible only if there are sufficient grounds for this. However, it is unreasonable to refuse the opportunity to appeal.

An appeal can be made after the decree on the offense has been completed. By law, this can be done within the first ten days.

If this is not done, starting from the eleventh day, the resolution will gain legal force. The complaint form can be downloaded online or taken to the traffic police department.

The complaint is usually sent first to the management of the traffic police department in which the document was drawn up. 10 calendar days are given for a response. If the decision is positive, the maintenance of the car will be free.