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Redeem a Towed Vehicle
How to Locate your Towed Vehicle
To determine which agency towed your vehicle in order to locate and retrieve it, use the Towed Vehicle Locator or contact 311.
The procedure to get your vehicle back depends on whether your vehicle was towed by:
- NYC Police Department because you were illegally parked; or by
- Marshal / Sheriff after booting because you owe more than $350 in outstanding judgment debt and the boot on your vehicle was not removed within 48 hours. More information on booting.
Review this guide to see the documents that are required to retrieve a booted or towed vehicles: Retrieving Your Booted or Towed Vehicle in NYC.
1. NYC Police Department
- Locate the address of the NYPD Tow Pound in the borough where your vehicle was towed. If you also owe $101 or more in judgment debt, to get your vehicle back you will need to pay all your outstanding judgment debt as well as the tow fees at the NYPD Tow Pound.
- NYPD Tow Pounds accept major credit cards, cash, certified checks and money orders.
Stopping a NYPD Tow in Progress
If you come across your illegally parked car being put on a tow truck and have a valid license, and a valid registration or valid lease agreement, you can stop the tow by signing a “Field Release Agreement”. By signing this agreement you are saying that you will resolve the ticket that caused the tow and the agreement within 30 days.
2. Marshal / Sheriff Judgment Tow
- You can pay your judgment debt either by calling the boot release line at 646-517-1000 or in person at a Finance Business Center.
- If you do not have a valid credit card, you must pay your judgment debt and the fees at a Finance Business Center.
- If you pay at a Finance Business Center, request a Vehicle Release Form. If you pay over the phone, you do not need a release form.
- You will be informed where to go pick up your vehicle after you pay. Take the release form with you.
- Finance Business Centers accept cash, money orders, certified checks, Visa, Discover, MasterCard, American Express and Mobile Wallet. Credit cards must be in the registered vehicle owner’s name.
- If you do not redeem your vehicle within 24 hours after you pay, you may be charged additional storage fees.
Stopping a Judgment Tow In Progress
If you come across your car being put on a tow truck after being booted, you can stop the tow if you call the boot release line at 646-517-1000 immediately and pay your judgment debt and fees over the phone. You will not be charged the full tow fee but must pay a tow dispatch fee of $67.50.
If you want to have a hearing you must visit a Finance Business Center. For more information click here.
Auctions
If you do not pick up your vehicle within 72 hours of the tow, the auction process will begin. The vehicle may be auctioned off as soon as 10 days after being towed.
You can request a “Sale Hold” at any Finance Business Center.
Charges
| Boot Fee: | $136.00 |
| Sheriff/Marshal Execution fee: | $80.00 |
| Tow Fee (If applicable): | $140.00 |
| Tow Dispatch fee (If applicable): |
$67.50 |
| Judgment Amount* | |
| Additional Fees* |
* Depending upon the amount owed.
If you need a hearing to contest one or more of the outstanding parking tickets, you must ask for one at a Finance Business Center. You cannot have a hearing on tickets in judgment more than one year.
Department of Motor Vehicle Offenses
You will not be able to retrieve your vehicle if you do not have valid registration or insurance.
If you do not have a valid driver’s license you will not be able to retrieve your vehicle unless you have another driver with a valid license with you.
You must settle all Department of Motor Vehicle offenses, as well as parking ticket and camera violations that have gone into judgment before you can get your vehicle back.