How much does it cost to get a car out of impound in Tempe?
A plain-English guide to impound and storage costs in Tempe: the state administrative fee, daily storage, the paperwork you need, and how to get your car back for less.
Why impound & storage fees costs what it does in Tempe
Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, and Tempe each impound under the same state law. A $150 state administrative fee (ARS 28-3513(B)) goes to the city police, and storage runs at the $25-a-day state cap on an ARS 28-3511 impound. The hold is 20 days. Call the city that ordered the tow: Mesa (480) 644-6080, Chandler (480) 782-4109. You pay the fee to the police, get a release form, then pay tow and storage at the contracted yard.
Tempe runs its impound through the Tempe 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.
How we work Tempe
Tempe holds 180,587 residents and is defined by Arizona State University, which packs the city with a dense, young, student-heavy fleet. That single fact shapes the work: apartment and private-lot tows run high, because students park in shared complexes with tenant rules and permit zones, and game days at Mountain America Stadium and nights on Mill Avenue add event and nightlife tows. The freeway picture is unusually busy for the city's size, with I-10, US 60 and Loops 101 and 202 all meeting here, so interchange crashes are steady in a county that logged 88,094 of them in 2024. Tempe Town Lake brings event parking, and Rural, Broadway and Apache with the light rail carry the rest of the traffic. About 22 percent of the city is Hispanic, so the Spanish version of this site is worth having even though it does not dominate. Heat is the reliable driver of no-starts and dead batteries: 2023 saw 133 days at or above 100 degrees in the metro, and a student's older car left in a lot over a break is a classic dead-battery call. On the legal side, a private-property tow in this part of the metro is capped by the city that governs the lot, and a police-ordered impound runs under the state 20-day law with its 150-dollar fee. The pros we send cover the ASU core, Mill Avenue, Town Lake and the freeway interchanges.
Cost details for Tempe
These details cover applicable pound or municipal fees in Tempe. If the vehicle needs a tow after release, the operator quotes that separate job before dispatch based on the vehicle, access, distance, and requested service.
For applicable pound or municipal fees, use the details above. If you need a tow after release, call (480) 526-9384 for the operator's separate quote before dispatch.
Common Tempe cost questions
How much does it cost to get my car out of impound in Tempe?
The city or agency that ordered the tow in Tempe charges the $150 state administrative fee (ARS 28-3513(B)), and storage runs at the state cap of $25 a day on an ARS 28-3511 impound. The mandatory hold is 20 days, not 30. Call that department for its counter address and hours, pay the $150 fee to get a release form, then pay the tow and storage at the contracted yard. The yard cannot release the car without the police release form.
What do I need to get my impounded car back in Tempe?
Bring a valid driver license, current proof of insurance (financial responsibility), current vehicle registration, and the impound notice. If an ignition interlock is required, bring proof it is installed. Pay the $150 state administrative fee to the police to get the release form, and if you are acting for the owner, bring proof of your authority. The department that ordered the tow sets the exact list, so ask when you call.
How long can they hold my car, and what if I wait in Tempe?
A police impound in Arizona runs a mandatory 20-day hold under ARS 28-3511, 7 days for the human-smuggling subsection. To contest it or seek early release, request a post-storage hearing within 10 days of the notice; it is held within 5 business days of the agency receiving the request (ARS 28-3514). Storage accrues at $25 a day the whole time, so calling early costs less than calling late. If the car is never claimed, it can be sold and you still owe the fees.
Can Quick Tow Phoenix get my car out of impound in Tempe?
No, and it's worth being straight about that. We connect drivers with private tow and roadside operators; we aren't the police department or the yard holding your car, so we can't waive anyone's fees or release it faster. What we can do is help you work out who has it and what the process is, and line up an operator to move it once it's released. Call (480) 526-9384.
Related towing info for Tempe
Impound & storage fees in the rest of the East Valley area
Need a tow after release in Tempe?
Call the line for the operator's separate onward-tow quote before dispatch.