DUI Vehicle Impoundment Attorney Serving Arizona
If you are arrested for a DUI in Arizona, and your blood alcohol content is above a 0.15 at the time of the arrest, your vehicle can be impounded for 20 days. If your vehicle has been impounded and you have questions about what to expect, or if you have been charged with driving under the influence, contact our DUI attorneys today.
Which DUIs require vehicle impoundment?
There are a number of scenarios that require a vehicle to be impounded for 20 days under the Arizona Revised Statute Section 28-3511. These include:
- Driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content of 0.15 or greater, known as an Extreme DUI
- Aggravated DUIs, which include:
- A DUI while your driver’s license is suspended, revoked, or canceled
- Committing a DUI for the third time in 7 years
- Committing a DUI while there is a minor under the age of 15 in your vehicle
- Committing a DUI while you are under an ignition interlock device requirement
- Committing a DUI while driving the wrong way on a highway
- Refusing to take a blood alcohol content test while you are required to have an ignition interlock device installed in your vehicle
How do I get my car back?
Once the 20 day period of impoundment has passed, you should be able to obtain your vehicle. However, only the Police Department involved in your case is permitted to release your vehicle. It is important to note that you may have to pay a $150 Administrative Fee, in addition to the payment you must make for towing and storage. If you fail to claim your vehicle within 10 days after you are eligible to request that it is released, the towing company has the right to file for vehicle title abandonment. If someone else, who is not the registered owner of the vehicle was driving it when it was impounded, the registered owner may request a hearing to obtain an early release of the vehicle. This request will need to made within 10 days of the vehicle impoundment with the Police Department who impounded the vehicle. The owner is responsible for paying all towing fees, storage fees, and the Administrative fee at the time of release.
Contact our Phoenix DUI Attorneys
If you have been charged with a DUI in Phoenix, it is important to retain quality legal counsel. The attorneys at Weintraub & Weintraub can walk you through each step of the process, including how to recover your impounded vehicle, as we fight the charges on your behalf. Contact our DUI attorneys today.