The 20-day impound hold in Scottsdale, explained
Many drivers call it the 30-day hold, but Arizona law sets a 20-day mandatory impound. Here is how it works in Scottsdale.
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 Scottsdale
- 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 Scottsdale
Old Town Scottsdale is one of the metro's densest nightlife districts, and DUI impounds are common on weekend nights. Scottsdale runs the 20-day hold with the $150 state fee, a $150 after-hours fee, and $53.50-a-day storage. Hearings are walk-in at the McKellips Station.
Scottsdale is worth a specific note. On a police-ordered 20-day hold under ARS 28-3511 the city charges the 150-dollar state administrative fee plus a 150-dollar after-hours fee, with storage at 53.50 dollars a day, or 25 dollars a day if you request an early hearing, and a 65-dollar tow charge; hearings are held at the McKellips Station, 7601 E. McKellips Rd. A private-property tow off a lot is a separate matter, with no statewide dollar cap and a required compliant sign giving the restriction, the maximum cost and a number and address where the car can be found. Call the department that ordered the tow for the assigned yard.
Scottsdale holds 241,361 residents and is affluent, older and about 9 percent Hispanic, so the market is firmly English-first. The towing work splits along the city's own geography. Old Town drives nightlife, DUI and event tows, WestWorld and Barrett-Jackson bring huge event crowds, and Scottsdale Fashion Square adds garage and lot volume. Loop 101, the Pima, carries the freeway load with SR 51 nearby, and Scottsdale Road, Shea, Pima and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard run the arterial grid. Maricopa County logged 88,094 crashes in 2024, and the Loop 101 corridor takes a steady share. Scottsdale runs a luxury and exotic fleet, so a large part of the work is roadside and insurance referrals on high-value vehicles that owners want moved on a flatbed with care. The McDowell Sonoran Preserve and Pinnacle Peak bring trailhead-lot recovery, and tourist rentals overheat in summer, when the metro saw 55 days at or above 110 degrees in 2023. Scottsdale is worth a specific note on impound: the city charges the 150-dollar state administrative fee plus a 150-dollar after-hours fee, with storage that runs higher than the state cap unless an early hearing is requested, and hearings are held at the McKellips station. The pros we send cover Old Town, the Loop 101 corridor, the Preserve trailheads and the resort district.
Common Scottsdale questions
Is the impound hold 20 or 30 days in Scottsdale?
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 Scottsdale?
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 Scottsdale?
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 Scottsdale?
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 Scottsdale
Storage hold timeline in the rest of the Scottsdale & the Northeast area
Need your car towed once it's released in Scottsdale?
We can't waive the yard's fees. We can line up an operator the moment it clears.