The 20-day impound hold in Gilbert, explained
Many drivers call it the 30-day hold, but Arizona law sets a 20-day mandatory impound. Here is how it works in Gilbert.
What Arizona law says
Arizona is often called a 30-day-hold state, but the current statute, ARS 28-3511, sets a mandatory 20-day impound, not 30. The word thirty does not appear in the current text, and Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, and Glendale all officially call it a 20-day impound. A narrow exception runs 7 days for the human-smuggling subsection. The impound is triggered when an officer stops a driver on a suspended, revoked, cancelled, or refused privilege, an unlicensed driver, a driver without a required ignition interlock, or a driver arrested for Extreme DUI (ARS 28-1382), Aggravated DUI (ARS 28-1383), or the under-21 liquor violation. A $150 state administrative fee (ARS 28-3513(B)) applies, storage runs at the $25-a-day state cap, and you can request a post-storage hearing within 10 days.
How it works in Gilbert
- 1 Confirm it is a 20-day hold
A police impound under ARS 28-3511 carries a mandatory 20-day hold, 7 days for the human-smuggling subsection. If the car was towed for a routine reason instead, the hold may not apply. Ask the impounding agency which statute the impound is under.
- 2 Know what triggered it
The 20-day hold is triggered by driving on a suspended, revoked, cancelled, or refused privilege, driving unlicensed, driving without a required interlock, or an arrest for Extreme DUI (ARS 28-1382), Aggravated DUI (ARS 28-1383), or the under-21 liquor violation.
- 3 Request a post-storage hearing within 10 days
To contest the impound or seek early release, request a hearing within 10 days of the date on the notice (ARS 28-3514). The hearing is held within 5 business days of the agency receiving your request. Miss the 10 days and the request is denied.
- 4 Understand early release
Early release is limited. It generally requires that an ARS 28-3511(D) exemption applied at the scene, or that the owner shows a reinstated driving privilege. Otherwise the car sits the full 20 days. Bring proof of a valid license and current insurance to the hearing.
- 5 Add up the cost
Plan for the $150 state administrative fee (ARS 28-3513(B)) to the police, plus the tow and storage at the yard, capped at $25 a day on an ARS 28-3511 impound. Over 20 days the storage alone adds up, so early resolution matters. Scottsdale storage runs $53.50 a day.
- 6 Get it moved once it is released
After 20 days and payment, the yard releases the car with the police release form. If it will not start or is not safe to drive, we line up an operator who quotes before dispatch. Call (480) 526-9384.
What this looks like around Gilbert
Mill Avenue nightlife and the US 60 corridor drive DUI stops across Tempe, Mesa, and Chandler. Each city impounds under the same ARS 28-3511 20-day hold, with the $150 state fee and $25-a-day storage. Request the post-storage hearing from the impounding city within 10 days.
Gilbert runs its impound through the Gilbert Police Department and charges the 150-dollar state administrative fee on a police-ordered 20-day hold, but call the department for the current release counter and hours, because the exact address could not be confirmed here. Like every Arizona agency it charges the 150-dollar state administrative fee (ARS 28-3513(B)) on a police-ordered 20-day hold under ARS 28-3511, with storage at the state cap of 25 dollars a day, and you can request a post-storage hearing within 10 days of the notice, held within 5 business days. A private-property tow off a lot is a separate matter: Arizona sets no statewide dollar cap, the city that governs the lot may set the maximum rate, and the lot must be posted with a compliant sign stating the restriction, the maximum cost and a number and address where the car can be located. Call the department that ordered the tow for its release counter and assigned yard.
Gilbert holds 267,918 residents, which makes it one of the largest incorporated towns in the country, and it is affluent and family-heavy, roughly 16 percent Hispanic, so the market is English-first while the Spanish mirror stays available. The Santan Freeway, Loop 202, is the crash corridor, joined by US 60 on the north edge and the Gilbert, Val Vista, Higley and Power arterials. In a county that logged 88,094 crashes in 2024 with a 3-to-4 p.m. peak, the Santan carries a real share of Gilbert's commuter collisions. The fleet is newer than most of the metro, so the work tilts toward warranty and roadside calls, flatbed requests for late-model vehicles, and family SUVs and trucks rather than abandoned-car removals. Heat is the constant: the metro saw 133 days at or above 100 degrees in 2023, enough to kill a battery in a garage-kept car. The Heritage District downtown and the retail around it bring private-property tows from shared lots. On the legal side, a private-property tow is capped by the city that governs the lot, while a police-ordered impound runs under the state 20-day hold with its 150-dollar administrative fee and 25-dollar daily storage cap. The pros we send cover the Santan corridor, the US 60 edge and the Heritage District.
Common Gilbert questions
Is the impound hold 20 or 30 days in Gilbert?
It is 20 days. The current statute, ARS 28-3511, sets a mandatory 20-day hold, and Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, and Glendale all call it a 20-day impound. The 30-day nickname reflects an older version of the law. A narrow 7-day hold applies only to the human-smuggling subsection.
What gets a car impounded for 20 days in Gilbert?
Driving on a suspended, revoked, cancelled, or refused privilege, driving unlicensed, driving without a required ignition interlock, or an arrest for Extreme DUI (ARS 28-1382), Aggravated DUI (ARS 28-1383), or the under-21 liquor violation. Those all trigger the ARS 28-3511 20-day hold.
Can I get my car out before 20 days in Gilbert?
Only in limited cases. Request a post-storage hearing within 10 days of the notice (ARS 28-3514); it is held within 5 business days. Early release generally requires that a statutory exemption applied at the scene, or that you show a reinstated driving privilege.
How much will 20 days of impound cost in Gilbert?
A $150 state administrative fee (ARS 28-3513(B)) plus the tow and storage. Storage is capped at $25 a day on an ARS 28-3511 impound, so 20 days of storage alone is a real number before the tow charge. Scottsdale runs a $150 after-hours fee and $53.50-a-day storage. Call (480) 526-9384 and we line up a tow once it is released.
Related help for Gilbert
Storage hold timeline in the rest of the East Valley area
Need your car towed once it's released in Gilbert?
We can't waive the yard's fees. We can line up an operator the moment it clears.