The 20-day impound hold in Mesa, explained
Many drivers call it the 30-day hold, but Arizona law sets a 20-day mandatory impound. Here is how it works in Mesa.
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 Mesa
- 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 Mesa
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.
Mesa runs its impound through the Mesa Police Department, and the release counter is at Mesa Police headquarters, 59 S. Hibbert; call 480-644-6080. 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.
Mesa is the third-largest city in Arizona, with 504,258 residents in the 2020 census, and about 27 percent of the city is Hispanic. West Mesa, near downtown and Main Street, skews more Spanish-first, while the east-side Las Sendas area is Anglo and affluent, so the Spanish version of this site carries real weight on the west end. US 60, the Superstition Freeway, is the crash-heavy commuter artery through the middle of the city, joined by Loop 202 and Loop 101 and the Main Street light rail, with Power, Gilbert and Country Club as the major arterials. Maricopa County recorded 88,094 crashes in 2024, and a high-volume commuter freeway like US 60 carries a heavy share of that load. Mesa also has one of the largest snowbird and retiree bases in the East Valley, which shows up in the call log as winter-visitor car trouble: seasonal cars that sat for months, dead batteries, and drivers unfamiliar with the roads. Heat is the constant: 2023 brought 55 days at or above 110 degrees in the metro, and older west-Mesa vehicles feel it first. Superstition-fringe recreation adds trailhead and desert recovery on the east edge. On impound, Mesa charges the 150-dollar state administrative fee on a police-ordered hold, and the release counter is at Mesa Police headquarters. The pros we send cover US 60, both loops and the Main Street corridor.
Common Mesa questions
Is the impound hold 20 or 30 days in Mesa?
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 Mesa?
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 Mesa?
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 Mesa?
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 Mesa
Storage hold timeline in the rest of the East Valley area
Need your car towed once it's released in Mesa?
We can't waive the yard's fees. We can line up an operator the moment it clears.