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The Vehicle Impoundment Program

Last updated on July 27, 2026

Police in British Columbia must impound a vehicle in certain situations, including when the driver is:

  • Prohibited or suspended from driving
  • Street racing or stunt driving
  • Driving more than 40 km/h over the posted speed limit
  • Committing certain motorcycle-related violations
  • Driving without a valid driver's licence or with the wrong licence class
  • Driving while affected by drugs or alcohol

A vehicle impoundment is separate from a traffic ticket. Even if you successfully dispute the ticket, the impoundment remains valid. The vehicle owner must still pay the towing, storage and impoundment costs. 

Impoundment periods depend on the offence and the driver’s history.

On this page

The notice of impoundment

When police impound a vehicle, the driver will receive a Notice of Impoundment.

If the driver is not the owner, the owner will receive a copy of the notice from the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles.

RoadSafetyBC will review the driver's record and may increase the impoundment period.

Impoundment periods

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Behavioural driving offences

Driving history Impoundment period
First offence 7 days
Second offence 30 days
Three or more offences within the past two years 60 days
 

Driving prohibition: blood alcohol content (BAC) 0.05 or greater

 
Driving history Impoundment period
First offence 3 days—the police may impound the vehicle
Second offence 7 days—the police may impound the vehicle
Three or more offences within the past 5 years 30 days—the police must impound the vehicle
 

Driving prohibition: BAC 0.08 or greater, or for refusing or failing to provide a breath sample

The vehicle must be impounded for 30 days.

 

How the impoundment period is calculated

The vehicle must stay in the impound lot for the full impoundment period, which is counted in calendar days.

The day the vehicle is towed does not count as part of the impoundment period. Day 1 begins at 12 a.m. on the following day.

Because the towing day and release day may both result in storage charges, a 7-day impoundment will usually result in 9 days of storage charges.

Example: 7-day impoundment

If a vehicle is impounded on May 1:

  • May 1: Vehicle is impounded (this day is not counted).
  • May 2: Day 1 of the impoundment period begins at 12:00 a.m.
  • May 2 to May 8: The seven impoundment days.
  • May 9: The vehicle is eligible for release.

Weekend and holiday closures: If your vehicle is eligible for release on a weekend or statutory holiday, please contact the impound lot to discuss release options.

 Towing and storage costs

The registered owner is legally responsible for all towing and storage costs, regardless of who was driving the vehicle.

If someone else was driving, the owner may be able to recover the costs from that person through a civil claim.

Estimate your costs

Use the Vehicle impoundment calculator (PDF, 875KB) to estimate your towing and storage costs.

The rates below apply only to impoundments under RoadSafetyBC programs. They do not apply to municipal or private impoundments, including impoundments for parking violations or abandoned vehicles.

The rates are established by the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles under section 255(2)(a) of the Motor Vehicle Act and the Lien on Impounded Motor Vehicles Regulation.

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Towing 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-minute increments)

 

 

 

 

Standby time

Vehicle recovery

Loading and securing of vehicle

Cleaning 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

 

  

 

Get your vehicle back

Once the impoundment period has ended, the registered owner must:

  1. Go to the impound lot in person
  2. Present valid government-issued photo identification
  3. Pay all towing and storage fees
  4. Ensure a licensed driver is available to drive the vehicle if you do not hold a valid driver’s licence. If you cannot go to the impound lot, see Steps to authorize someone else to retrieve your impounded vehicle.

Contact the impound lot before going there to confirm its hours and any additional requirements.

If the vehicle owner is deceased

If the owner of an impounded vehicle is deceased, contact the impound lot operator to confirm what documentation is required to release the vehicle.

You may also wish to contact an Autoplan broker to determine whether you are eligible to transfer ownership of the vehicle and what documents are needed to begin that process.

Company-owned vehicles

Company-owned vehicles may be retrieved by the business owner, managing director, or fleet manager. The individual retrieving the vehicle must provide proof of their association with the business, such as:

  • A business card
  • A letter on company letterhead
  • A company summary or profile issued within the past 12 months

Authorize someone else to pick up your impounded vehicle

If you can't go with a licensed driver to claim your impounded vehicle, you can authorize someone else to pick it up for you.

Step 1

Complete the Owner's Authorization Form (MV2712).

Step 2

Email your documents to RSBCImpoundment@gov.bc.ca:

  • A copy of both sides of your valid government-issued ID
  • A copy of your Notice of Impoundment
  • Your completed Owner’s authorization form MV2712 (PDF, 123KB)
  • If the vehicle is company-owned, the request must be made by the business owner, managing director, or fleet manager. Include proof of their connection to the business, such as:
  • A business card
  • A letter on company letterhead
  • A company summary issued within the last 12 months
  • Accepted file types: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, XLS, XLSX, PNG, JPG, and GIF.

Step 3

Wait for approval.

  • RoadSafetyBC will review your request and respond to the email address you used.
  • Processing can take up to three (3) business days, so submit your request before the vehicle is picked up.
  • If your request is approved, RoadSafetyBC will notify the impound lot.

Step 4

Have the authorized person pick up the vehicle

The authorized person must bring:

  • Their valid driver's licence
  • Payment for towing and storage fees

 

If a vehicle is not claimed at the end of an impoundment period

If you do not claim your vehicle, the impound lot operator may take ownership of it and sell or otherwise dispose of it to recover unpaid towing and storage costs.

If there is an outstanding balance remaining after the vehicle has been disposed of, the impound lot operator may apply to have a Refuse to Issue (RTI) hold placed on the vehicle owner’s driver’s licence. This means the vehicle owner will be unable to obtain or renew their driver’s licence until the debt has been paid.

This policy encourages vehicle owners to settle their impoundment-related debts. It also supports impound lot operators to 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.

Early release of an impounded vehicle

A vehicle may be eligible for early release under the following circumstances:

  • Police confirm to RoadSafetyBC that the vehicle was stolen prior to being impounded
  • The vehicle was impounded for unlicensed driving, and the driver subsequently obtains a valid B.C. driver’s licence or proves that they are not required to have one
  • An Immediate Roadside Prohibition is revoked or cancelled
  • A vehicle impoundment review is successful

Towing and storage fees apply to vehicles that are released early.

If your stolen vehicle was impounded

If your vehicle was stolen and impounded, police may authorize an early release after a stolen vehicle report has been filed.

The vehicle owner remains responsible for all towing and storage fees.

Impoundment for driving without a licence

If your vehicle was impounded because you were driving without a valid driver’s licence, it may be released once you obtain a valid driver’s licence. Alternatively, you may authorize another person to collect the vehicle on your behalf after the impoundment period has expired.

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

To obtain a driver’s licence, visit an ICBC driver licensing office.

This process does not apply to drivers who were prohibited from driving. Individuals who were prohibited from driving are not eligible to have their licence reinstated through this process.

For more information, please contact ICBC.

Apply for a review 

You cannot apply for a review of a 3-day or 7-day impoundment. Reviews are only available for impoundments longer than 7 days.

Towing and storage fees are the responsibility of the vehicle owner regardless of the outcome of the review.

Include supporting evidence with your application or written submission. You may also present evidence during an oral review.

Who can apply for a review and on what grounds

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Review of an Immediate Roadside Prohibition impoundment

You may apply if:

  • You are the registered owner
  • You were not driving the vehicle
  • The vehicle was impounded because the driver received an Immediate Roadside Prohibition

You must apply on one or both of the following grounds:

  • You exercised reasonable care and diligence before allowing the person to drive your vehicle
  • The vehicle was used without your knowledge or consent

You may need to provide evidence showing the steps you took to confirm that the driver was legally allowed to drive.

 

Review when the registered owner was not driving

You may apply if:

  • You are the registered owner
  • You were not driving the vehicle
  • The vehicle was impounded because the driver was identified as prohibited, suspended or unlicensed

You must apply on one or more of the following grounds:

  • The driver was not prohibited from driving and their licence was not suspended at the time of the impoundment
  • The driver had a valid B.C. driver’s licence or was exempt from the requirement to hold one
  • The driver’s record should not have identified them as unlicensed
  • You exercised reasonable care and diligence before allowing the person to drive your vehicle
 

Review when the registered owner was driving

You may apply if:

  • You are the registered owner
  • You were driving the vehicle
  • The vehicle was impounded because you were identified as prohibited, suspended or unlicensed

You must apply on one or more of the following grounds:

  • You were not prohibited from driving and your licence was not suspended at the time of the impoundment
  • Before driving, you had no reason to believe you were prohibited or that your licence was suspended
  • You had a valid B.C. driver’s licence or were exempt from the requirement to hold one
  • Before driving, you reasonably believed you had a valid B.C. driver’s licence or were exempt from the requirement to hold one
  • Your driving record should not have identified you as unlicensed
 

Compassionate review

You may apply for a compassionate review if you:

  • Live with the registered owner
  • Have a valid driver’s licence
  • Do not have access to another reasonable form of transportation, including public transportation

You must show that the impoundment will:

  • Cause you to lose employment, reduce your employment opportunities or limit your educational opportunities, or
  • Prevent you or someone in your care from receiving necessary medical treatment

If the compassionate review is successful

Before the vehicle can be released, you must pay:

  • A $100 release fee at an ICBC driver licensing office
  • All towing and storage fees directly to the impound lot
 

Economic hardship review

You may apply for an economic hardship review if the impounded vehicle is used in a business.

You must show that:

  • The business has a reasonable prospect of earning income that depends on the vehicle, and
  • The expected loss of income during the impoundment period represents a substantial portion of the business’s income or would cause economic hardship

If the economic hardship review is successful

Before the vehicle can be released, you must pay:

  • A $450 vehicle release fee at an ICBC driver licensing office
  • All towing and storage fees directly to the impound lot

 

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.

Do not send your review application to RoadSafetyBC.

After you apply

A RoadSafetyBC adjudicator will consider all relevant evidence submitted and will decide whether to confirm or revoke the vehicle impoundment.

The applicant will be notified of the decision regardless of the outcome. If the impoundment is revoked, RoadSafetyBC will authorize the impound lot to release the vehicle.

The vehicle owner remains responsible for all towing and storage fees.

Visit RoadSafetyBC’s ILO webpage for information and resources for impound lot operators.

Contact us

For questions about your vehicle impoundment or options for early release (if applicable), call our Appeals Registry during business hours:
  • 1-855-387-7747, select option 5. We will help you know where to send your information, if needed.
  • Fax: 250-356-6544