Towed Vehicles
To recover your towed vehicle, resolve the issue that caused your vehicle to be towed, then obtain a vehicle release form from the Berkeley Police Department.
There are many reasons the Police Department might have a company tow your car, but the most common reasons are:
- Driver is unlicensed or license is suspended.
- The vehicle is not registered or the registration is expired.
- The vehicle has more than 5 outstanding parking tickets where payment is delinquent.
- Certain Vehicle Code violations (blocking roadway etc.).
To recover your towed vehicle, you will need to first take care of the reason it was towed (for example, update your vehicle registration or pay outstanding parking tickets). Then you will obtain a vehicle release form from the Berkeley Police Department’s Records Bureau.
In some cases you will need to take additional steps to recover your vehicle:
- If your vehicle was impounded for driving with a suspended license, you will need to call the Berkeley Police Traffic Bureau at (510) 981-5980 to schedule a tow hearing.
- If your vehicle was impounded for excessive unpaid parking citations, you will need to pay your parking tickets, then obtain a release form from the Customer Service Center.
You are entitled to a tow hearing if you disagree with the reason your vehicle was towed. Call (510) 981-5980 to request a tow hearing. Hearings cannot be held on the same day the vehicle was towed.