The Vehicle Impoundment Program

If police impound a vehicle you are driving they will give you a notice of impoundment. If it's not your vehicle, police will send the owner a copy, too.

If it's for a non-alcohol related violation, the impoundment will begin immediately and last at least seven days.

RoadSafetyBC will review your driving record and may increase the impoundment period.

Driving behaviour

• 7-days for a first infraction
• 30-days for a second infraction
• 60-days for three or more driving infractions in the last two years

Driving prohibition—blood alcohol content (BAC) equal to or greater than 0.05

• 3-days for a first infraction (Police may impound the vehicle at their discretion.)
• 7- days for a second infraction (Police may impound the vehicle at their discretion.)
• 30-day impoundment for three or more infractions in the last five years (Police must impound the vehicle.)

Driving prohibition—blood alcohol content (BAC) equal to or greater than 0.08, or for refusal to provide a breath sample

• 30-day impoundment (mandatory)

The owner of the vehicle is legally responsible for paying all towing and impoundment costs, regardless of who was driving at the time of impoundment.

If the vehicle was stolen, police may authorize its early release after the owner files a stolen vehicle report. However, the owner is still required to pay the towing and storage fees.

Suppose the vehicle was impounded while being operated by someone other than the owner (e.g., a friend, employee, or unauthorized driver). In that case, the owner may attempt to recover the costs by filing a civil claim in Provincial Court (Small Claims Court) against the driver.

This calculator can be used to estimate your towing and impoundment costs:

• Vehicle impoundment calculator (PDF, 618KB)

Towing and impound costs​

Rates

Towing	Gross vehicle weight not more than 3,000 kg	Gross vehicle weight more than 3,000 kg but not more than 6,300 kg	Gross vehicle weight more than 6,300 kg but not more than 9,073 kg	Gross vehicle weight more than 9,073 kg
Flat tow rate	$110.00	$116.16	$184.21	$245.01
Per KM tow rate	$3.32	$4.16	$4.70	$10.01
Fuel surcharge	25%	25%	25%	25%
Dolly fee	$40	$40	$40	$40
Storage
Zone 1	$40.00	$52.00	$80.00	$80.00
Zone 2	$38.18	$49.63	$76.36	$76.36
Zone 3	$38.18	$49.63	$76.36	$76.36
Zone 4	$32.00	$41.60	$64.00	$64.00
Additional services (payable in 30-minutes increments)
Standby, recovery, loading and securing of vehicle, clean up from towed vehicle and additional services (in lieu of dollies)	$110.00	$116.16	$184.21	$245.01
Administrative fee	Claimed vehicle	Unclaimed vehicle
	$55.05	$70.09

 

Getting your vehicle released from the impound lot

To retrieve an impounded vehicle, the registered owner must:

1. Wait until the impoundment period has ended
2. Go to the impound lot in person
3. Present valid government-issued photo ID (e.g., a valid driver’s licence)
4. Pay all outstanding fees, including towing and storage costs

Once these steps are completed, the vehicle will be released.

Impoundment for driving without a licence

If your vehicle was impounded by police because you were driving without a valid driver’s licence, it may be released once you obtain a new driver’s licence. Alternatively, you may authorize someone else to collect the vehicle on your behalf.

If the vehicle was impounded because someone else was driving it without a valid licence, it may be released once that individual obtains a new driver’s licence.

To obtain a new licence, please visit an ICBC driver licensing office.
This does not apply to drivers who were prohibited from driving. Prohibited drivers are not eligible for licence reinstatement through this process.

For further information, contact ICBC.

Steps to authorize someone else to retrieve your impounded vehicle

1. Complete the Owner’s authorization form MV2712 (PDF, 278 KB). 
2. Send the following documents to AR.Review@gov.bc.ca:
   • A copy of both sides of your valid government-issued ID
   • The completed form
3. Wait for verification. This step can take up to 3 days, please submit your request ahead of time
   • We'll review your request and get back to you at the email address you used to send it
   • If your request is approved, an order of release will be sent directly to the impound lot to authorize the release of the vehicle
4. The person you authorize to collect the vehicle must bring:  
   • Payment for towing and storage fees
   • Their valid driver’s licence

If your vehicle was stolen and impounded

If you're the owner of a vehicle that was stolen and then impounded you can get it released early by filing a police report. You're still responsible for paying the towing and storage costs.

If a vehicle is not reclaimed

If a vehicle is not claimed after the impoundment period ends, the impound lot operator may apply to dispose of it.

If the vehicle’s owner owes outstanding fees to the impound lot operator, they may be unable to obtain a driver’s licence or vehicle insurance until the debt has been paid.

An impounded vehicle can be released early for compassionate or economic reasons. For example:

• The driver's spouse needs it for work
• The driver's business partner needs if for business and doing without it would cause hardship

The person applying for the early release of an impounded vehicle must have a valid licence.

A vehicle impounded because the driver was not licensed may be released once the driver is licensed.

There are fees for the early release of an impounded vehicle.

Drivers and owners of impounded vehicles can request reviews of impoundments that are over seven days long. You can request an impoundment review for these reasons:

Who can apply for a review and on what grounds

An owner who was not the driver may apply for a review on the following grounds:

• Reasonable care and diligence was taken in entrusting the vehicle to another driver
• The driver took the vehicle without the owner’s knowledge or consent
• The person driving the vehicle was not prohibited or suspended
• The person driving the vehicle held a valid driver’s licence or was exempt from the requirement to hold a licence

An owner who was the driver may apply for a review on the following grounds:

• They were neither prohibited nor suspended, or had no reason to believe they were prohibited or suspended
• They held a valid driver’s licence or were exempt from the requirement to hold a licence
• A notice to impound the vehicle of an unlicenced driver should not have been on their driving record

A cohabitant of an owner, who also holds a valid driver’s licence and with no reasonable alternative form of transportation may apply for a review on the following grounds:

• They will suffer a loss or curtailment of employment or educational opportunities
• The impoundment will prevent the cohabitant, or a person under their care, from obtaining medical treatment

Stolen vehicles

Police believe the impounded vehicle was stolen. The owner of the vehicle will have to pay the towing and storage costs.

Unlicensed drivers

An impounded vehicle can be released if its driver has been issued a new driver’s licence. A driver who was prohibited from driving when the vehicle was impounded cannot apply.

Driving prohibition and impoundment

An impounded vehicle may be released if:

• Police prohibited the driver from driving at the time of the impoundment, and
• The driver is applying for a review of the prohibition

Only the driver of the vehicle who received the driving prohibition can apply for the review. If the prohibition review succeeds, towing and impound fees will be refunded.

How to apply

Go to any ICBC driver licensing office for the review form. ICBC will submit your review application to RoadSafetyBC and a review will be scheduled.

Review decision

A RoadSafetyBC adjudicator will review your application and make a decision. You'll receive the decision by mail.

If the adjudicator lifts your impoundment, RoadSafetyBC will let you know. They'll also fax the impoundment lot and order it to release the vehicle.

The vehicle owner is responsible for paying the towing and storage fees.

Review decision

For more information about impoundment reviews, contact RoadSafetyBC's appeal registry.

RoadSafetyBC may direct ICBC to refuse the issuance of a driver’s licence to an individual until any outstanding debt owed to an impound lot operator for an impounded vehicle has been paid.

This policy encourages vehicle owners to settle their impoundment-related debts. It also supports impound lot operators recover the costs associated with towing and storing vehicles on behalf of the province.

For more information about driver licensing and impoundment debts, contact RoadSafetyBC.

Impound lot operators must use specific documents to:

• Apply to the Vehicle Impoundment Program
• Dispose of vehicles not picked-up at the end of an impoundment
• Ask RoadSafetyBC to direct ICBC to refuse to issue a driver's licence because of debts from a vehicle impoundment

These documents, along with detailed information for Impound Lot Operators and those wishing to join the program, are available on our ILO Information page.