Vehicle Impound

Search for your impounded vehicle online by license, vehicle identification number (VIN), or date of impound.

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Your vehicle may have been impounded because of the following:

• A traffic accident where the owner is transported to the hospital and/or the vehicle is rendered inoperable.
• Disabled vehicles causing traffic hazards.
• Illegal parking.
• A vehicle is left parked in the right-of-way or a public area continuously for 72 hours or longer.
• The driver of the vehicle is taken into custody by the Denver Police Department and the vehicle is left unattended.
• Invalid/misused license plates or driver’s license.
• The vehicle is involved in a criminal investigation.
• The vehicle is reported stolen.
• Vehicles deemed hazardous or are a public safety concern.

You may recover your vehicle or property any time during normal operating hours, excluding city-observed holidays:

Monday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The impound is busiest on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, near opening and closing; avoid long lines by visiting during other open days and times. The lobby is closed on Sundays.

How to remove your vehicle from the impound lot:

Option one - have the vehicle towed out of the lot:

• Proof of ownership: a valid photo identification and current registration or unsigned title (we accept faxed titles – front and back – from the lien holder).
• A PUC-certified commercial tow truck only – no dollies, ropes, chains, or transport trucks.

Option two - drive the vehicle out of the lot:

• Owner must provide a valid current registration.
• Valid and current insurance for the vehicle.
• Valid state-issued driver’s license from the United States.

Description of documents mentioned above:

Proof of ownership:

• Current vehicle registration showing you as the owner.
• Original title designating you as the current owner. If the title is signed, you must go to the DMV to get it transferred into the new owner's name.

Valid photo identification (one of the following):

• Valid state issued driver license from the United States.
• Valid state issued identification card or military ID from the United States.
• Valid passport.
• Name on identification must match the owner documents.

Impound staff are not permitted to waive or reduce fees according to the Denver Revised Municipal Code.

Acceptable forms of payment:

• Cash
• Money order
• Cashiers check
• Travelers check
• Credit card: MasterCard, Visa, or Discover

Personal checks are not accepted.

**Booted vehicle owners must pay all parking fees, in addition to normal impound and storage fess, before the vehicle can be claimed – a receipt showing all parking fees have been paid is required. Parking fees are paid online through Parking In Denver. Parking citations can be paid at the VIF or through Parking In Denver.

If you are the victim of a recovered stolen vehicle, you do not need to pay. All storage and tow fees are waived for confirmed victims of stolen vehicles.

Once all holds on a vehicle have been dropped, the owner has 30 days to recover the vehicle. If the vehicle is not recovered after 30 days, it will be sold at auction or sent to recycling as junk. The auctioning off or junking of any vehicle satisfies any storage and tow fees owed. Any tickets or citations issued to the vehicle prior to or at the time of impoundment will remain active.

Your vehicle cannot be repaired while at the impound. If your vehicle is inoperable or unsafe to drive, it must be towed out of the impound and repairs made elsewhere.  

There are not any charges to validated owners for recovering property or inspecting their vehicle.

Taking photos of your vehicle is not allowed. The impound is a secured facility and use of cell phones or cameras inside any of its lots is strictly prohibited. Photographs of the vehicle taken at the time it was impounded can be requested in writing via email to DSD-CLU@denvergov.org. You will need to provide a copy of your state- or government-issued identification, as well as a valid title (front and back) or registration of the vehicle for which you are requesting photos. Additionally, verified insurance agents are authorized to take photographs of vehicles. We will not release photos of any vehicles with law enforcement holds.

You may have a locksmith make a key for your vehicle while it is impounded as long as the service does not take longer than 20 minutes.

The vehicle owner may authorize another party to recover a vehicle and/or property. To do so, the vehicle owner must send a notarized letter of release to the VIF. The notarized letter must include the vehicle's year, make, model, and vin, as well as the name of the authorized person as it appears on the form of identification they will present at the VIF upon pickup.

In addition to a notarized letter, the authorized party must present the following documentation:

To tow the vehicle out, authorized persons must provide:

• Proof of ownership (title or current registration).
• Valid identification (i.e., driver's license or passport).

To drive the vehicle out, authorized persons must provide:

• Proof of ownership (title or current registration).
• Valid identification (i.e., driver's license or passport).
• A valid driver's license.
• Current registration.
• A proper insurance card. 

Access will not be granted for vehicles with police holds.

If the owner of the cited vehicle is deceased, the vehicle/license plate was stolen, or the vehicle was sold before the citation was issued, call the Parking Violations Bureau at (866) 280-9988 during regular business hours for further instructions.

If your vehicle has a boot or has been towed and impounded, you have two options: pay the fees or request a hearing.

Option 1: Pay Fees

• Pay the fees and underlying citation fines by phone or online.
• Refer to the seizure notice or call the Parking Violations Bureau at (866) 280-9988.
• To locate a towed vehicle, search Autura's tracking system or call the Denver Police non-emergency line at (720) 913-2000.

Option 2: Request a Hearing

• Schedule a boot or impound hearing to appear before a special hearing officer.
• Schedule in person at 1437 Bannock St, Room 135, Denver, CO 80202, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
• Limitations to requesting a boot/impound hearing include:
  • The hearing officer may ONLY consider:
    • Whether jurisdiction exists (boot or impoundment occurred in the City and County of Denver).
    • Whether you are the owner of the vehicle or entitled to possession.
    • Whether probable cause existed to impound the vehicle under any provision of the Denver Revised Municipal Code or the Colorado Revised Statutes.
  • The hearing officer cannot:
    • Reduce or modify towing, impound, or storage charges already accrued or yet to be accrued.
    • Make any rulings or modify any fines on the unpaid citations that resulted in the booted or impounded vehicle.

Parking fees must be paid at Denver International Airport (DEN). These fees are in addition to the Vehicle Impound Facility storage fees. A receipt must be provided indicating parking fees associated with the vehicle have been paid when claiming the vehicle. 

DEN Parking can be contacted at 303-342-4650. 

Vehicles impounded for special event parking violations near Empower Field at Mile High will initially be towed to Gary Price Campus Denver Public Works at 1271 W Bayaud Ave, Denver, CO 80223. The vehicle must be claimed within two hours after the end of the event. A valid driver license and $120.00 will be required to recover the vehicle at the temporary impound location.  

If the vehicle is not recovered within two hours after the end of the event, the vehicle will be towed to the Vehicle Impound Facility located at 5160 York St. The vehicle can only be claimed during normal business hours for $240.00, plus storage. Proof of ownership, valid photo identification, and proof of insurance will be required.