Las Vegas’s main lots for impounded vehicles after a Nevada DUI arrest include these locations near the I-15:
- Ewing Brothers at 1200 A Street, Las Vegas, NV 89106; (702) 382-9261;
- Quality Towing at 2024 Losee Rd, North Las Vegas, NV 89030; (702) 649-5711;
- Fast Towing at 4220 Donovan Way, North Las Vegas, NV 89030; (702) 383-3278;
- Around the Clock Towing at 600 W Bonanza Road, Las Vegas, NV 89106; (702) 378-5591; and
- Big Valley Towing at 2132 Commerce Street, Las Vegas, NV 89030; (702) 233-2869.
If you do not know where your vehicle has been towed, call the police department at 311 or do an online search at AutoReturn.com.
How do I avoid my car getting towed following a DUI arrest?
After an arrest for driving under the influence, police officers may allow a non-intoxicated passenger to take the vehicle away. Alternatively, police may permit you to phone family or friends to come by and take possession of the vehicle.
Ultimately though, law enforcement has full discretion over whether to get a vehicle towed to an impoundment lot following a DUI. If the vehicle is obstructing traffic or otherwise jeopardizing public safety, the police’s priority is to have it removed from the area as soon as possible.
Can I choose the towing company?
If you are arrested for drunk driving, you can tell the officer which tow truck service and impound lot you prefer to use. Typically, this is whichever service that your car insurance company covers.
The police will usually comply with this request. If you are too intoxicated to communicate, the police will choose which tow company to call.
How do I retrieve my impounded vehicle?
The only person who can retrieve a vehicle following an impound is the registered owner. It makes no difference if the registered owner is not the vehicle’s primary driver and is not named on the insurance.
The registered owner must produce a photo ID and proof of legal title, such as
- registration papers or
- the actual title.
The registered owner must pay all storage fees not covered by insurance before the lot will release the vehicle. Impound companies usually accept
- cash,
- credit cards,
- money orders, and
- wire transfers.
On average, impound fees are $30 a day, not including towing fees.
Cars that are never picked up will be auctioned off, usually after 30 days. The impound company will then sue the car owner for any outstanding fees not covered by the auction proceeds.
What if my license gets revoked?
If you are the registered owner and have your license revoked following a DUI arrest, you will be unable to drive away the car from the lot. Therefore, you would need to bring a licensed driver with you in order to lawfully retrieve the vehicle.
The length of your driver’s license suspension depends on the case, as the following table shows:
| DUI Offense | Length of Nevada Driver’s License Revocation |
| 1st DUI | 185 days. However, it is usually possible to keep driving with an ignition interlock device. |
| 2nd DUI (within 7 years) | 1 year. However, it is usually possible to keep driving with an ignition interlock device. |
| Any felony DUI, including a 3rd DUI (within 7 years) | 3 years. However, it is usually possible to keep driving with an ignition interlock device. |
Note it may be possible to contest a DUI license revocation at a DMV hearing, which is like a mini-trial entirely separate from the criminal DUI case.
Additional Resources
For more in-depth information, refer to these scholarly articles:
- An Evaluation of the General Deterrent Effect of Vehicle Impoundment on Suspended and Revoked Drivers in California – Journal of Safety Research.
- An evaluation of the specific deterrent effects of vehicle impoundment on suspended, revoked, and unlicensed drivers in California – Accident Analysis & Prevention.
- Towing Can Devastate a Poor Family: The Solution Is to Reduce the Fees – Berkeley La Raza Law Journal.
- Safety and Other Impacts of Vehicle Impound Enforcement – Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California at Berkeley.
- To Tow Or Not to Tow: The Deterrence Effect of a Municipal Ordinance – Criminal Law Bulletin.
