Your Car Got Towed When They Were Arrested

LASD uses a tow rotation that varies by station. Call the specific station that made the arrest — not LASD HQ — with the plate number. DUI arrests frequently trigger a 30-day impound hold under CVC § 22651(h), meaning the car cannot be released for 30 days regardless of who pays. If the defendant was driving on a suspended license, same rule applies. This is one of the most common surprises clients face.

Pomona PD uses a rotation of tow companies. Call the non-emergency line with the vehicle's license plate to find out exactly which company has it and where it is. Pomona has a high volume of DUI arrests — 30-day holds are common here. The Pomona jail is on the same block as the police station, so if you are bailing someone out and dealing with the car at the same time, you can handle both in one trip to Mission Blvd.

West Covina PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number before driving anywhere. West Covina is one of the larger SGV departments — they process a high volume of arrests and the property/evidence unit is generally responsive.

El Monte PD uses a tow rotation. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number. El Monte has a busy arrest volume given its size — the tow yard may be several miles from the arrest location.

Whittier PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number. Whittier is a mid-size department — response times for property inquiries are generally reasonable during business hours.

LASD Norwalk Station covers Norwalk and surrounding unincorporated areas. Same 30-day hold rules as all LASD stations for DUI and suspended license arrests. Call the station directly with the plate number.

Compton is patrolled by LASD under contract. Same 30-day hold rules apply for DUI and license-related arrests. Call the Compton Station directly.

Long Beach PD is one of the largest independent city departments in LA County. They use a contracted tow rotation. Long Beach has its own city jail — if the arrest was in Long Beach, the defendant is likely at LBPD jail, not a county facility. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number. Long Beach PD's property unit can be slow to respond during peak hours — call early in the day.

Pasadena PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number. Pasadena has its own city jail — defendants arrested by PPD are held at the Pasadena City Jail before transfer to county.

Glendale PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number. Glendale has its own city jail — defendants are typically held there before transfer to county.

Burbank PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number. Burbank has its own city jail. Burbank PD is known for being organized — their property unit is generally responsive during business hours.

Baldwin Park PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number. Baldwin Park is a smaller department — the non-emergency line may route to dispatch, who can look up the tow information.

Azusa PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number.

Glendora PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Glendora is a smaller, quieter department — their property unit is generally accessible during business hours.

Covina PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number.

LASD Walnut/Diamond Bar Station covers Walnut, Diamond Bar, and surrounding unincorporated areas. Same 30-day hold rules as all LASD stations for DUI and suspended license arrests. Call the station directly with the plate number.

LASD Rowland Heights Station covers Rowland Heights and surrounding unincorporated areas. Same 30-day hold rules as all LASD stations for DUI and suspended license arrests.

Claremont PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Claremont is a smaller, college-town department — their property unit is generally accessible during business hours.

La Verne PD uses a contracted tow rotation. La Verne is a smaller department — call the non-emergency line with the plate number.

OCSD handles unincorporated OC areas and contracts with several cities. Call the specific station that made the arrest with the plate number. OCSD's property/evidence division is at the main jail complex in Santa Ana.

Laguna Beach is the strictest department in Southern California about the release form requirement. The tow yard will not release the vehicle without it — period. Go to the police station first, pay the release fee, get the form, then go to the tow yard. Laguna Beach also has very limited parking near the station, so plan accordingly.

Newport Beach PD has historically required a release authorization before the tow yard will release the vehicle. Always call NBPD first to confirm current requirements — this is a department that enforces its procedures strictly. Newport Beach is a high-income area with high tow fees to match.

Anaheim PD is one of the largest city departments in OC. They use a contracted tow rotation. Anaheim has a high arrest volume — the tow yard may be several miles from the arrest location. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number. Anaheim PD's property unit is generally responsive during business hours.

Santa Ana PD is the largest city department in OC and one of the busiest in Southern California. They use a contracted tow rotation. Santa Ana has a very high arrest volume — call the non-emergency line with the plate number before going anywhere. The Central Jail (OC Men's Central Jail) is in Santa Ana, so if you are bailing someone out and dealing with the car, you may be able to handle both in the same area.

Huntington Beach PD is known for aggressive DUI enforcement — 30-day impound holds under CVC § 22651(h) are very common here. If the arrest was DUI-related, assume the car is on a 30-day hold and plan accordingly. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number to confirm.

Fullerton PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Fullerton has a large entertainment district — DUI arrests are common on weekends. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number.

Irvine PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Irvine is a well-organized department — their property unit is generally responsive. Irvine has a lower arrest volume than most OC cities, so wait times for property inquiries tend to be shorter.

Garden Grove PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number.

Buena Park PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number.

Costa Mesa PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Costa Mesa has a busy entertainment district — DUI arrests are common. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number.

Brea PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Brea is a smaller, well-organized department. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number.

Yorba Linda contracts with OCSD for law enforcement. Call OCSD with the plate number. Arrests in Yorba Linda go through OCSD's system — the defendant will be booked at an OCSD facility.

Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Aliso Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Lake Forest, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, and San Clemente all contract with OCSD for law enforcement. Call OCSD with the plate number for any arrest in these cities.

SBSD covers a massive geographic area. Always call the specific station that made the arrest — not SBSD HQ — with the plate number. The station will tell you which tow company has the vehicle. SBSD stations include: Twin Peaks, Big Bear, Barstow, Victorville, Apple Valley, Hesperia, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, and others.

Ontario PD uses a tow rotation. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number. Ontario is a major logistics hub — the department handles a high volume of arrests. One quirk: if the arrest happened near Ontario International Airport, the tow company may be different from the standard rotation due to airport authority jurisdiction.

Fontana PD is one of the busiest departments in the Inland Empire. They use a contracted tow rotation. Fontana has a high arrest volume — call the non-emergency line with the plate number before going anywhere.

Rialto PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Rialto is a mid-size department. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number.

Colton PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Colton is a smaller department. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number.

Redlands PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Redlands is a mid-size department with a relatively organized property unit. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number.

Upland PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Upland is a mid-size department. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number.

Chino PD uses a contracted tow rotation. One important note: Chino is home to the California Institution for Men (CIM) — if the arrest involved a parolee or someone with a prison connection, the vehicle may be subject to additional holds. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number.

San Bernardino PD is one of the busiest departments in the Inland Empire. They use a contracted tow rotation. SBPD has a high arrest volume and the property unit can be slow to respond — call early in the day. The Central Detention Center is in San Bernardino, so if you are bailing someone out and dealing with the car, you may be able to handle both in the same area.

Victorville has its own police department but SBSD also operates in the area. The high desert has fewer tow companies than the urban Inland Empire — the impound lot may be farther from the arrest location. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number. High Desert Detention Center is in Adelanto, near Victorville.

Hesperia is patrolled by SBSD. The high desert has fewer tow companies — the impound lot may be farther away. Call the SBSD Hesperia Station with the plate number.

Apple Valley is patrolled by SBSD. The high desert has fewer tow companies — the impound lot may be farther away. Call the SBSD Apple Valley Station with the plate number.

Barstow is a remote high desert city on I-15. There are very few tow companies in the area — the impound lot options are limited. Act fast: if the car sits for more than a week, the fees can exceed the car's value. Barstow PD and SBSD both operate in the area — call whichever agency made the arrest.

Big Bear is a mountain resort community at 6,700 feet elevation. This creates unique impound complications: (1) If the arrest happened during winter, the impound lot may be inaccessible due to snow — call ahead. (2) Big Bear has very few tow companies — the lot may be at the base of the mountain, not in Big Bear itself. (3) If the car was towed during a storm, it may have been moved to a lower-elevation lot. Always call SBSD Big Bear Station first.

Rancho Cucamonga contracts with SBSD for law enforcement. Call the SBSD Rancho Cucamonga Station with the plate number. West Valley Detention Center is in Rancho Cucamonga — if you are bailing someone out and dealing with the car, you may be able to handle both in the same area.

Yucaipa is patrolled by SBSD. Call the SBSD Yucaipa Station with the plate number.

RCSD covers a large geographic area. Always call the specific station that made the arrest — not RCSD HQ — with the plate number. RCSD stations include: Banning, Beaumont, Hemet, Indio, Lake Elsinore, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Palm Desert, Perris, San Jacinto, and others.

Riverside PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Riverside is a large city with a high arrest volume. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number. Robert Presley Detention Center is in Riverside — if you are bailing someone out and dealing with the car, you may be able to handle both in the same area.

Corona PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Corona is a large city with a significant commuter population — DUI arrests on the 91 freeway are common. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number.

Moreno Valley contracts with RCSD for law enforcement. Call RCSD with the plate number. Moreno Valley has a high arrest volume for its size — call early in the day.

Temecula contracts with RCSD for law enforcement through the Southwest Station in Murrieta. Call RCSD Southwest Station with the plate number. Temecula has a large wine country and entertainment district — DUI arrests are common on weekends. Southwest Detention Center is in Murrieta, near Temecula.

Murrieta has its own police department (unlike Temecula, which uses RCSD). Murrieta PD uses a contracted tow rotation. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number. Southwest Detention Center is in Murrieta.

Palm Springs PD uses a contracted tow rotation. One important quirk specific to the desert: extreme heat can damage vehicles sitting in an outdoor impound lot. In summer months (May–October), temperatures regularly exceed 110°F. If the car has leather seats, electronics, or anything heat-sensitive, act fast. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number. John Benoit Detention Center is in Indio, about 25 miles east.

Indio contracts with RCSD for law enforcement. Call RCSD Indio Station with the plate number. Same desert heat warning as Palm Springs — act fast in summer months. John Benoit Detention Center is in Indio.

Hemet contracts with RCSD for law enforcement. Call RCSD Hemet Station with the plate number. Hemet has a high arrest volume for its size — call early in the day.

Lake Elsinore is patrolled by RCSD. Call the RCSD Lake Elsinore Station with the plate number.

Perris is patrolled by RCSD. Call the RCSD Perris Station with the plate number.

Banning PD covers the Banning Pass area on I-10. A significant portion of arrests here are highway-related — DUI, warrant stops on the freeway. The tow lot may be off the freeway. Call the non-emergency line with the plate number.