Car towed in San Jose? Impound lots, fees and lookup
Checked Nov 14, 2026 against official sources. We don't have your car: use the official lookup below.
Find your car
Status and recovery of vehicles towed or impounded in San Jose. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except a daily break from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM.1
Other ways to check:
- SJPD Vehicle Records Unit recorded message · (408) 277-4156: Recorded towed-vehicle information. The unit also answers questions about repossessed, stolen and recovered vehicles and vehicles towed from private property.1
Towed from a private lot (apartment, store)? Private-property tows in San Jose go to the tow company named on the lot's signs. The SJPD Vehicle Records Unit, (408) 277-4156, can answer questions about vehicles towed from private property.
Deadline to contest: 10 calendar days from the notice (California rules). How to request a hearing
Cars towed by San Jose police go to one of the city's contract tow companies, and in most cases you need a vehicle release from the SJPD Auto Desk before the tow yard will hand the car back. Call the Auto Desk to learn which company has the car and whether a release is required.
San Jose impound lots: addresses and hours
Century Tow
Police contract lot
344 Old Tully Rd, San Jose, CA 95116123
Payment: cash, personal check, credit
City Tow
Police contract lot
224 S. 24th Street, San Jose, CA 95116123
Payment: cash, personal check, credit
Courtesy Tow
Police contract lot
681B Lenfest Road, San Jose, CA 95133123
Payment: cash, personal check, credit
Matos Tow
Police contract lot
681A Lenfest Road, San Jose, CA 95133123
Payment: cash, personal check, credit
Motorbody Tow
Police contract lot
455 Sunol Street, San Jose, CA 95126123
Payment: cash, personal check, credit
Alongi Tow
Police contract lot
455 Sunol Street, San Jose, CA 95126123
Payment: cash, personal check, credit
How much it costs to get your car out in San Jose
| Fee | Amount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
Towed Vehicle Impound Release Fee (paid to the City of San Jose)2DetailsEffective February 13, 2019. Paid at the SJPD Auto Desk by cash, cashier's check, money order, Visa, Mastercard or Discover. | $122 | Police-ordered |
Basic tow service (contract tow company)2DetailsRates follow the CHP Tow Services Agreement for the Golden Gate Region, San Jose office, adopted by the City Council. Paid to the tow company. | $335 | Police-ordered |
| Vehicle storage (contract tow company)2 | $130 / day | Police-ordered |
| After-hours gate fee (contract tow company)2 | $130 | Police-ordered |
Estimate your bill
Got your receipt? Check it for overcharges
Type what the lot charged for each line. We flag anything above a confirmed legal cap.
What to bring
- SJPD vehicle release, if the Auto Desk says one is required
- Valid driver's license or a licensed driver
- Personal ID
More detail, including when the car is not in your name: what to bring to the impound lot.
Local rules and how to contest
- Get the vehicle release at the SJPD Auto Desk, 201 W. Mission Street, San Jose. Public counter hours from July 1, 2026 are Monday to Thursday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Releases can also be requested online outside counter hours.
- To get a release you must be the registered or legal owner, the car must be currently registered with DMV, and you need ID plus a valid driver's license or a licensed driver with you.
- For a police tow, request a hearing from the SJPD Tow Hearing Unit, 201 W. Mission St., (408) 277-5429, within 10 days of the date on the notice. The informal hearing happens within 2 business days of the request.
- If the San Jose Department of Transportation authorized the tow, request the hearing from DOT Tow Hearings, 200 E. Santa Clara Street, (408) 975-3718.
- Cars towed for an unlicensed or suspended driver may be held for 30 days.
- Property inside a towed car is released by the tow company, not by SJPD.
- San Jose police now order and record tows through Aries, a tow management system from Autura. No public Autura lookup for San Jose was confirmed, so call the Auto Desk.
California rules that apply
California has no single statewide dollar cap. A private-property tow and its storage can't cost more than the local police agency's contract rate or the tower's CHP-approved rate, whichever is higher, and charging more can make the tower liable for four times the amount. Every storage lot has to take cash and credit cards, hand back your belongings for free during business hours, and post a state-written Towing and Storage Fees and Access Notice. For police-ordered tows you can ask for a post-storage hearing within 10 days of the notice date.
- Drop fee release: If you get back to your car before it has left the property, the tow company has to release it on the spot, and refusing is a misdemeanor. If the car was already hooked up or lifted, they can charge up to half their regular towing charge. Then you need to move the car right away.
- Your belongings: Before paying anything, you can get your personal belongings out free during normal business hours, which are Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. except state holidays. The lot has no lien on items inside the car. For police-towed cars, the lot can charge a gate fee to return items after hours, capped at half its hourly tow rate.
- Hearing: If police or another public agency had your car stored, you can ask for a post-storage hearing in person, in writing or by phone within 10 days of the date printed on the storage notice. The agency has to hold it within 48 hours of your request, not counting weekends and holidays, and it pays the tow and storage if it can't show good grounds. The law doesn't say business days, so count calendar days to be safe. Private-property tows get no agency hearing. Your remedy there is a lawsuit, usually in small claims court.
Think the tow was wrong?
Questions
How do I find my towed car in San Jose?
Use SJPD Vehicle Records Assistance Line (Auto Desk) or call (408) 277-4263. Status and recovery of vehicles towed or impounded in San Jose. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except a daily break from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM..
Where is the San Jose impound lot?
Century Tow: 344 Old Tully Rd, San Jose, CA 95116. City Tow: 224 S. 24th Street, San Jose, CA 95116. Courtesy Tow: 681B Lenfest Road, San Jose, CA 95133. Matos Tow: 681A Lenfest Road, San Jose, CA 95133. Motorbody Tow: 455 Sunol Street, San Jose, CA 95126. Alongi Tow: 455 Sunol Street, San Jose, CA 95126.
How much does it cost to get a car out of impound in San Jose?
For police-ordered tows the city lists a $335 tow and $130 per day of storage. Other fees may apply.
My car was towed from a private lot in San Jose. Where is it?
Private-property tows in San Jose go to the tow company named on the lot's signs. The SJPD Vehicle Records Unit, (408) 277-4156, can answer questions about vehicles towed from private property.
Sources
Last checked Nov 14, 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the lot or agency before you go. Spot an error? Tell us.
- Recover Towed Vehicle (Internet Archive capture of October 3, 2026, live site blocks automated reading), San Jose Police Department. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Public Safety Fees (Internet Archive capture of August 13, 2026, live site blocks automated reading), San Jose Police Department. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Tow Hearing Unit Standard Operating Procedures Manual (revised July 7, 2021), San Jose Police Department. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Duty Manual revision memo 2026-017, Reporting Vehicle Tows (Aries automated towing system), San Jose Police Department. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Census Bureau Vintage 2024 city and town population estimates (SUB-EST2024), U.S. Census Bureau. Checked Nov 14, 2026.