Car Impounded and Not Worth Getting Back? Read This First

These are the dates from RCW 46.55.110, RCW 46.55.120 and RCW 46.55.130. Your notice from the tow company should show your actual dates.

The version of RCW 46.55.120 we read runs until July 1, 2027, so check the current text after that date.

Three separate things can follow you.

• The tow bill

  RCW 46.55.105 presumes the last registered owner of record is liable for the costs of removing, storing and disposing of the car, less what the auction brought.

• A cap, sometimes

  RCW 46.55.140 says a deficiency claim is “not to exceed the sum of five hundred dollars”, or $1,000 for vehicles over 10,000 lb. The limit does not apply to law enforcement-directed impounds.

• An infraction

  Leaving the car can lead to the infraction called “littering–abandoned vehicle” under RCW 46.55.105. A theft report relieves the infraction, but not the costs.

• What you can get back

  If the car brings in more at auction than is owed, the surplus goes to DOL, and you have one year to claim it.

So the honest comparison is between what it costs to get the car out and what you might owe if you leave it, plus the value of whatever is left.

• What is the total today, itemized, and how much does it go up each day?
• When is the auction date? When did you mail the notice?
• Was this a private impound or directed by law enforcement?
• Which forms of payment do you take? The law lists cash, major credit cards and checks.
• What do I need to bring to redeem it, and to get my belongings?
• If I do not redeem it, what will you bill me, and when?

For some private impounds, RCW 46.55.118 caps the hourly towing rate and daily storage rate for class A, D and E tow trucks at 135 percent of the State Patrol’s negotiated maximum, so ask for the rates in writing. The cap applies only if the car was parked and upright, with all its wheels and tires and no broken axle, and was not in an accident at the place it was towed from. It does not cover law enforcement impounds. If you were in a crash and insurance is involved, our guide to a car in a tow yard after an accident is a better starting point. Call your insurer first.

A properly filed report of sale relieves you under RCW 46.55.105(4). If the sale date is before the impound, the costs fall on the buyer. A sale after the impound leaves them on you, so selling a car from the yard does not clear the bill you already owe.

There is an exception. If the person you named did not know about the sale or did not accept it, the liability stays with you to prove the transfer. A contract, title, receipt or purchase order can help, under RCW 46.12.650. Please do not file a report naming someone who has not agreed to buy the car. A court that finds a report fraudulent notifies DOL, and DOL may remove it, under RCW 46.12.652. Our report of sale guide explains how to file one properly.

The car has to be released before it can leave, and that means settling with the yard. The statute lists a purchaser with proof among those who can redeem a car, but it does not make the bill go away. Who pays is something to settle before anyone agrees to anything.

Call us at (206) 941-0612 and tell us what you have, and we will tell you whether we can take it. Have the yard’s total and your paperwork with you. Our offers depend on year and model, condition, demand for parts, weight and size, and towing distance, so ask for an actual offer before you pay to redeem. If you already redeemed it, see non-running car removal or wrecked car buyer.

If no one bids at auction, RCW 46.55.130 says the tow operator must, within 45 days, sell the car to a wrecker, hulk hauler or processor through an affidavit, or apply for title. That is the operator’s process, not yours.