The 20-day impound hold in Maricopa, explained
Many drivers call it the 30-day hold, but Arizona law sets a 20-day mandatory impound. Here is how it works in Maricopa.
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 Maricopa
- 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 Maricopa
Casino traffic and the SR 347 and US 60 corridors feed DUI impounds in Maricopa, Apache Junction, and the county edge. The ARS 28-3511 20-day hold applies with the $150 state fee and $25-a-day storage. The Sheriff covers unincorporated areas, so confirm which agency has the car.
The City of Maricopa, in Pinal County, runs its impound through the Maricopa Police Department. 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.
Maricopa is the definitional long-haul city on this map. It sits south of the Gila River Indian Community with one lifeline road, SR 347, the John Wayne Parkway, running north to I-10, and that single fact drives most of the towing. A breakdown in Maricopa can mean a 20-plus-mile tow just to reach the interstate, and SR 347 runs a long at-grade rail-crossing route where backups and crashes are common. ADOT recorded 306 crashes near the SR 347 and Riggs Road intersection, 69 percent of them rear-end, and is building a roughly 55-million-dollar overpass to fix it. The city is a diverse young-family exurb, roughly 30 percent Hispanic with notable Black and Native populations, so the Spanish version of this site earns its place. Heavy Phoenix commuter volume moves up and down the 347 every day, and the desert heat is the constant, with 133 days at or above 100 degrees in the metro in 2023 and sparse services along the route. Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino and Copper Sky Regional Park anchor the area. Because this is a long-haul market, route knowledge and the right equipment matter more here than in the dense core. The pros we send cover SR 347, SR 238 and the routes north to I-10.
Common Maricopa questions
Is the impound hold 20 or 30 days in Maricopa?
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 Maricopa?
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 Maricopa?
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 Maricopa?
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 Maricopa
Storage hold timeline in the rest of the Pinal Belt & Long Haul area
Need your car towed once it's released in Maricopa?
We can't waive the yard's fees. We can line up an operator the moment it clears.