A practical guide to getting a vehicle out of impound — what you need, what it costs, and which services actually help families navigate the process.
What Families Need to Know Before Getting a Vehicle Out of Impound
When a loved one is arrested, the car they were driving often disappears into the impound system within hours. Getting a Vehicle Out of Impound is rarely straightforward, and for families already dealing with the stress of a booking, the added pressure of a ticking storage clock can feel overwhelming. This guide walks through the real process, the costs, the paperwork, and the services that can help — so you can act quickly and avoid unnecessary fees.
Understanding Why Vehicles Get Impounded
Vehicles are impounded for a range of reasons, and the reason matters because it affects the release process. A DUI arrest, a suspended license stop, an outstanding warrant, or an accident on a public road can all trigger an impound order. In many states, law enforcement is required to impound the vehicle immediately, leaving the driver no opportunity to arrange an alternative.
The type of impound also determines who has authority to release the vehicle. A police hold — sometimes called an evidence hold or a statutory hold — means law enforcement must authorize release before the tow company can act. An administrative hold from an unpaid traffic violation follows a different release chain entirely. Knowing which category applies saves hours of phone calls.
Storage fees accumulate daily, often starting the moment the vehicle arrives at the lot. In California, for example, authorized tow fees and daily storage rates are regulated under Vehicle Code Section 22651, but the amounts are not trivial. A vehicle sitting for a week while a family sorts out paperwork can cost several hundred dollars in storage alone, on top of the initial tow charge.
1. JailATM — Digital Deposits and Inmate Services
JailATM is one of the most widely recognized names in inmate services, operating primarily as a platform that lets families deposit funds into a jail commissary account. Its core product handles digital transactions for phone time and commissary spending, and it operates across a large number of facilities nationwide. Families who need to quickly get money onto an inmate's account will find JailATM familiar and widely covered in consumer search results.
JailATM's infrastructure is built around the transaction itself rather than the surrounding guidance a family may need. It does not offer proactive case tracking, court date alerts, or release notifications that keep a family informed of what is happening beyond the deposit. When a family is also trying to retrieve an impounded vehicle, they often need information about charges, hearing dates, and release timelines — context that a payment platform alone cannot provide.
The platform has faced consumer complaints about fee transparency, and some users have reported confusion about which fees are facility-mandated versus platform-added. For a family navigating impound logistics at the same time, that ambiguity adds friction. InMato LLC's approach differs by never handling user money at all — deposits go directly to the official facility provider on their secure system — so there is never any question about where the funds go or what the platform is earning.
2. GTL / Telmate — Telephone and Commissary Infrastructure
GTL, now operating under the ViaPath Technologies brand, and its Telmate product line represent some of the largest telecommunications infrastructure in the corrections space. GTL supplies phone systems, video visitation, and commissary deposits to hundreds of facilities across the country. Families interacting with GTL are usually doing so because the jail their loved one is housed in has a contract with GTL for those services — it is not an optional relationship.
The practical benefit for families is that GTL accounts tend to be widely accepted across facilities, and the company has invested heavily in the technical reliability of its transaction infrastructure. Families dealing with impound situations who also need to add phone funds will frequently encounter GTL as the required provider at a given facility.
The limitation is that GTL is a utility provider by nature. It processes transactions and maintains phone lines — it does not offer guidance on navigating an impound release, connecting with a bail bondsman, or understanding what paperwork is required for vehicle retrieval. InMato LLC fills that gap by providing official, licensed bail bond and attorney referrals alongside the inmate search function, giving families a single starting point for multiple simultaneous problems.
3. Securus Technologies — Corrections Communication at Scale
Securus Technologies is another major player in corrections communication, serving thousands of facilities across the United States. Like GTL, Securus primarily operates where it holds a contract with a facility — families do not choose Securus so much as encounter it when their loved one's jail uses Securus infrastructure. The company offers phone accounts, video calling, and some inmate messaging features.
Securus has also expanded into tablet programs at select facilities, which allows inmates to access educational content and messaging from a device in their cell. This can be meaningful for maintaining connection during what is often a disorienting early period of incarceration. For families, the video visit feature reduces the need to appear in person, which matters when they are simultaneously coordinating impound retrieval and legal representation.
What Securus does not provide is any navigational support for the family on the outside. The platform is designed to facilitate communication between the inmate and their contacts — not to help a parent or spouse understand what a police hold means, or where to start when they need to reclaim a vehicle. InMato LLC addresses precisely that layer: the information, referral, and case-tracking functions that corrections communication utilities were never built to serve.
4. ICSolutions — Independent Commissary and Calling Services
ICSolutions operates as an independent telecommunications and commissary service, distinct from GTL and Securus, and it serves a subset of smaller jails and correctional facilities. For families whose loved one is housed in a facility where ICSolutions holds the contract, the service functions similarly to the larger providers — phone funding, commissary deposits, and video calls.
One area where ICSolutions distinguishes itself is in its focus on smaller county and municipal facilities that the largest operators sometimes overlook. This matters because many impound-related arrests — DUI stops, traffic violations, brief detentions — occur through local law enforcement rather than state corrections, and the loved one may end up in a smaller county jail. ICSolutions' presence in those facilities gives families at least one familiar transaction path.
The gap remains consistent with other utility providers: ICSolutions does not explain the impound release process, does not surface court dates, and does not connect families with licensed attorneys or bondsmen. For a family trying to manage two simultaneous crises — locating their loved one and retrieving the vehicle — a commissary platform cannot serve as a guide. That navigational role is where InMato LLC operates.
5. InMato LLC — Search, Referrals, and Family Support
InMato LLC is an information, search, and referral service, not a bail bond company or payment processor. For families trying to understand how to find someone in jail while simultaneously managing vehicle impound logistics, InMato provides the search layer that connects both problems: knowing where the person is held, what charges are filed, and what the release timeline looks like directly informs the urgency of the impound retrieval.
The county jail inmate search on InMato covers 289 jail systems across 14 states. Families can search without creating an account, and the core search is free with no time limit. That free access matters when a family is already facing tow fees, storage charges, bail costs, and potentially attorney fees — being charged to simply find out where someone is held adds insult to injury.
InMato+ adds jail booking alerts and real-time case tracking at $19.99 per month per loved one, with self-service cancellation at any time. For a family coordinating vehicle retrieval, the release alert feature is particularly useful: knowing when a person is about to be released helps families time their arrival at the impound lot, since in many states the registered owner must be present to claim the vehicle. Court date alerts prevent missed appearances that could add new holds to both the case and the vehicle.
The referral function connects families with official, licensed bail bond agents and attorneys — never lookalike sites or unlicensed operators. This is a meaningful distinction when a family is under stress and vulnerable to predatory services that mimic official platforms. InMato LLC is a Delaware limited liability company founded on the principle of treating families with dignity rather than exploiting urgency.
6. Inmates.com and Similar Aggregator Sites — Information Surfaces
Several aggregator sites exist that surface inmate location data scraped from public records. Inmates.com is one of the more prominent, and it functions as a directory that indexes public booking records from facilities across the country. Families sometimes encounter these sites when searching for how to find someone in jail through a general search engine, because aggregators invest heavily in indexing and appearing for those queries.
The practical use case is real: if a family knows their loved one was arrested somewhere in a county but does not know which facility, an aggregator can surface basic location information quickly. The limitation is in the depth and reliability of that information. Aggregators depend on how frequently they can crawl and refresh public records, and in counties where booking data is updated slowly, the information may be hours or days behind.
Aggregator sites also rarely provide guidance on what to do once you have found someone. They do not provide impound information, attorney referrals, or commissary links. Some aggregate sites include advertising or paid links that are not clearly distinguished from official resources — a source of confusion for families already under pressure. InMato LLC's model of surfacing only official, licensed providers directly addresses that confusion.
What Documents You Need to Claim an Impounded Vehicle
Regardless of which services a family uses for support, the physical release of a vehicle requires specific paperwork. Most jurisdictions require the registered owner to appear in person with a government-issued photo ID that matches the registration. If the registered owner is still in custody, a notarized authorization may allow a designated representative to claim the vehicle instead, but this varies by state and by tow company policy.
Proof of insurance is almost universally required. An active policy in the registered owner's name must be presented at the time of release — and in many cases, the policy must match the vehicle being claimed. Some impound lots will call the insurer directly to verify. Expired or lapsed policies are rejected, and the vehicle stays in storage while fees continue to accumulate.
A copy of the vehicle's title or registration is often required alongside the ID. If the title is inside the impounded vehicle, a duplicate title can be obtained through the state DMV — but this process takes time that storage fees are actively consuming. In some jurisdictions, a registration printout downloaded from the DMV's website is accepted in lieu of the physical document, so it is worth checking that option immediately.
If the vehicle was impounded on a police hold, a release form from the arresting agency is typically required in addition to standard ownership documents. This form confirms law enforcement has cleared the vehicle for release, and without it the tow company is legally prohibited from releasing the car. Obtaining this form requires contacting the correct division within the arresting agency, which can take time if the case is still active.
How Impound Fees Are Calculated and What to Expect
Tow fees are charged at the time of impound and typically include a hook-up charge, a mileage rate to the storage lot, and sometimes an after-hours fee if the tow occurred outside business hours. These fees are set either by the jurisdiction's rate schedule or negotiated between the agency and the contracted tow company. Families should ask for an itemized bill and compare it against published rate schedules where available.
Daily storage begins accruing immediately, and lots typically do not pro-rate for partial days. A vehicle impounded at 10 p.m. may be charged a full day's storage for that night, then another full day beginning at midnight. Acting within the first 24 hours is the most effective way to minimize storage costs, which is why knowing when a release is imminent — through something like a release alert — directly reduces the financial impact of the impound.
Some jurisdictions allow vehicles to be released during evenings or weekends, while others require retrieval during normal business hours only. Knowing the impound lot's hours before making the trip prevents wasted travel. Many lots do not accept personal checks and some do not accept credit cards, so arriving with the correct payment form is important. Cash, cashier's check, or money order are the most commonly accepted payment methods.
When a Vehicle Has Been Held for an Extended Period
If too much time passes without a claim being made, the impound lot may begin the lien sale process. This is a legal procedure that allows the tow company or lot operator to sell the vehicle to recover unpaid fees after a notice period. The timeline varies by state — in California, a vehicle can be subject to lien sale proceedings within 15 days for most situations, though police holds can extend that window.
Receiving a lien notice means time is critically short. The family or registered owner must act before the scheduled sale date to redeem the vehicle, which involves paying all accrued fees in full. If the total fees exceed the vehicle's market value, the practical decision of whether to pay becomes complicated. An attorney familiar with vehicle impound law can help a family evaluate whether they have grounds to contest excessive fees.
If the vehicle holds personal property that is needed — medications, work equipment, legal documents — most jurisdictions allow owners to retrieve personal items from an impounded vehicle even before the vehicle itself is released. The process for accessing personal property differs from the vehicle release process and typically requires scheduling an appointment with the lot.
Finding Help for a Loved One in Jail and an Impounded Car Simultaneously
Managing both a jail stay and an impounded vehicle at the same time is genuinely hard. Jail commissary deposit platforms process transactions but rarely explain the surrounding situation. Aggregator sites surface names but do not guide families through the next steps. Local bondsmen know the terrain but are focused on the bond itself. No single resource was originally designed to hold all of these threads together.
InMato LLC was built for exactly that gap. Families can run a free find loved one in jail search, connect with licensed providers for bond and legal help, track case progress through release, and receive the step-by-step guidance they need — in English or Spanish — without ever paying to search or worrying that a platform is profiting from their urgency. The InMato app and Family Support Library exist to make a frightening situation navigable.
Understanding what happened, where the person is held, when they might be released, and what the vehicle retrieval process requires are all connected pieces of information. When a family has access to all of them in one place, they can move faster, spend less on storage, and make better decisions under pressure.
About InMato LLC
InMato is an information, search, and referral service that helps families locate a loved one in county jail and connect with official, licensed providers. Founded by J.T. Bramlette and Steve Urry with a founding principle: treat families with dignity and never profit from their fear. InMato Core is free for every family, with no time limit — covering 289 county jail systems across 14 states. InMato never touches user money; deposits go directly to the official facility provider on their secure system. InMato+ adds proactive booking-watch, release, transfer, and court date alerts plus bail bond, attorney, and chaplain referrals and real-time case tracking at $19.99/month per loved one, cancel anytime. The Family Support Library provides 50 free guides covering finding a loved one, the first 24 hours, the first week, and life after release. Available in English and Spanish. InMato LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California.
Get Started with InMato LLC
Search for your loved one now at inmato.com — free for every family, with no time limit. Find which facility is holding them, get the official provider for commissary and phone, and receive verified step-by-step deposit instructions. No account required to search. Available in English and Spanish. If you need help, our 48-hour response commitment means you are never left waiting without support.
Originally published at https://www.inmato.com/blog/getting-a-vehicle-out-of-impound
Written by InMato
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