Is it possible to pick up a car from an impound lot without paying? What to do if your car is towed How to pick up a car from a parking lot

If a motorist commits an illegal act on the road, his vehicle may be sent to the impound lot. The natural desire of every driver is to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.

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In some cases, car owners cannot be personally present when they are released from impound lots, but, thanks to amended Federal laws, they can entrust this process to trusted persons.

In what cases is it possible

A vehicle can end up in a parking lot for various reasons:

  • incorrect parking;
  • the driver does not have documents allowing him to drive the vehicle;
  • participation in a traffic accident;
  • driving a vehicle while intoxicated;
  • the presence of technical malfunctions due to which it is not possible to transport the car to a permanent parking place, etc.

The federal law, adopted by the State Duma back in 2020, allows vehicle owners to grant broad powers to their proxies.

By issuing a notarized power of attorney for the representative, they thus instruct to perform a number of legal actions that allow the owner to return the car located in the impound lot.

Every car owner can try to avoid unnecessary problems if he follows the following rules:

  1. You need to park your car only in designated areas.
  2. Before each trip, you need to check that you have all the documents that allow you to drive the car.
  3. If the driver had (or is about to) drink alcohol, then he should not drive, but should first park the car in a guarded parking lot, lock it and use a taxi.

Required package of documents

In order for the representative of the owner of the vehicle to be able to pick it up from the impound lot, he must provide the traffic police officers with a complete package of documents, which should include:

  • passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation;
  • permission from the traffic police that you can pick up the car;
  • documents for car ownership;
  • MTPL insurance policy (if the representative of the car owner is included in this policy, then he does not need to present a power of attorney);
  • vehicle keys;
  • a copy of the protocol (this document describes the technical condition of the car, thanks to which the owner will be able to claim financial compensation in the event of careless transportation or careless storage of the car);
  • driver's license of a suitable category;

If the vehicle was placed in the impound lot due to a traffic violation, then the representative of the owner of the car will have to sign a protocol on the administrative violation committed.

Thus, the trustee will be forced to admit the guilt of the owner of the vehicle.

In the case when the documents for the car are in its interior, then in order to remove them from there, traffic police officers will have to print the doors and draw up a corresponding report.

Upon receipt of the car, the authorized person will have to sign the Delivery Certificate.

  • loss of personal belongings of the owner;
  • lack of spare parts, components and assemblies;
  • loss or damage to decorative elements;
  • the presence of various damages that appeared while the car was in the impound lot.

Procedure for receiving a car

In 2020, the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted a law, which is still in force, regarding the procedure for obtaining cars from impound lots.

Thanks to this legal act, not only the legal owner, but also his authorized representative can pick up the car.

To pick up a car from the impound lot, you must act in a certain sequence (the procedure can be carried out by both the owner and his representative, acting on the basis of a notarized power of attorney):

  1. Find out which impound lot the car was transported to by means of a tow truck. In small towns this cannot be done very quickly. In large cities, car owners can spend a lot of time and effort finding out the necessary information. Lawyers recommend calling either the unified evacuation service or number 02. Law enforcement agencies receive information about the forced evacuation of vehicles approximately 2 hours after this procedure.
  2. Contact your local traffic police department. At this government agency, the owner of a vehicle must receive a certificate confirming the absence of debts on previously accrued fines.
  3. If at the time of application the owner of the car has outstanding fines, then they must be paid, and the receipts must be provided to the traffic police officers involved in the paperwork. Payment can be made both at branches of banking institutions and through electronic payment systems (in particular via the Internet).
  4. Obtain a document allowing you to pick up your vehicle from the impound lot.
  5. Apply the necessary seals and stamps on the documents.
  6. Collect a complete package of documentation, issue and notarize a power of attorney to the representative.
  7. Go to the impound lot and hand over all documents to its employees.
  8. Sign the transfer deed (after carefully checking the appearance and technical equipment of the car, as well as the presence of all the owner’s valuables) and pick up the car.

Some car owners ask the question: what to do if the impound lot has a legal day off? In most cases, on such days, neither the owners nor their official representatives will be able to resolve the issue of receiving the cars.

Lawyers recommend that motorists try to resolve such issues on an individual basis. To do this, you will need to find out the personal phone number of the manager of a particular impound lot and try to explain to him the urgency of the situation over the phone.

If the boss does not make concessions, then the owner or his authorized representative will have to wait until the working day and pick up the vehicle in the prescribed manner.

If the owner of a vehicle comes to the attention of the traffic police or the police, he needs to try to make every effort to ensure that the car is not transported to the impound lot.

If nothing could be done, then the owner must demand a receipt confirming the fact of payment of the fine (on the spot) for the offense committed on the road.

If you do not receive this document, then neither the owner nor his representative will be able to pick up the car from the impound lot.

How to pick up a car from an impound lot without paying a fine

Today, vehicle owners have the opportunity to pick them up from the impound lot without having to pay for the services of a tow truck. This right was given to them by the Federal Law adopted by the State Duma on June 7, 2020.

It is worth noting that legislators included in this legal act a provision regarding the abolition of payment for both tow truck services and storage of cars in impound lots.

This Federal Law came into force on September 1, 2016. Until this moment, vehicle owners did not have the right to pick up their cars unless they paid for the full range of services provided.

Starting from September this year, representatives of owners of cars located in impound lots can pick them up if they have a package of documents that does not include payment receipts.

The law now allows 60 days from the date of accrual of penalties to pay for car storage and towing services.

What to do if the owner dies

If a vehicle is in an impound lot and its owner suddenly dies, then only the official heir can pick it up from there.

In this situation, you need to act in the following order:

  • the legal successor of the deceased must enter into the inheritance;
  • the inheritance registration procedure is carried out;
  • on the basis of an appropriate document confirming the transfer of ownership from the deceased to the legal successor, the vehicle can be taken from the impound lot.

The heir has the legal right to authorize his representative to pick up the car from the impound lot.

Hi all!
Today I didn’t notice the sign and parked the car. I walked away for 2 minutes, came up, and they started loading it onto a tow truck. There is no inspector. I asked to stop the evacuation because I could remove the car myself. The second tow truck operator went to CALL the inspector, and the one who loaded it continued the evacuation and left.
I arrived at the traffic police and received permission to issue a car. According to the NSO law “On the procedure for moving detained vehicles to a specialized parking lot, their storage, payment of the cost of movement and storage, as well as the return of vehicles (as amended on December 28, 2016) dated June 14, 2012 N 227-OZ:
1. The return to the owner, the owner’s representative or a person who has the documents necessary to drive a detained vehicle stored in a specialized parking lot for a detained vehicle is made on the basis of an official’s decision to return the detained vehicle immediately after the reason for the detention of the vehicle has been eliminated.

Article 5. Payment of the cost of moving to a specialized parking lot
and storage of detained vehicles in a specialized parking lot
(Article as amended by the NSO Law dated November 3, 2016 N 97-OZ - see previous edition)
1. Payment for the cost of moving to a specialized parking lot and storing a detained vehicle in a specialized parking lot is carried out within the terms and at the rates that are established in accordance with federal legislation by the executive authority of the Novosibirsk Region authorized by the Government of the Novosibirsk Region.
2. Payment for the cost of moving to a specialized parking lot and storing a detained vehicle in a specialized parking lot is made on the basis of an invoice issued by a specialized parking lot to the person who, in the resolution imposing an administrative penalty for an administrative offense that resulted in the detention of a vehicle, is charged with paying the cost of moving to a specialized parking lot and storage of a detained vehicle in a specialized parking lot.

I don’t agree with the illegal evacuation, so I want to pay for the evacuation after the court’s decision. By law, the car must be released immediately. They refused to give me a car, called the police, he accepted the statement, said that this was a civil law relationship and left. They won't give the car back.
They are not allowed out of the parking lot. They even took me for a ride in the car on a tow truck 8)

It turns out that we have a law, but no one will enforce it and nothing will happen to them for it?

If you park in the wrong place, be prepared for your car to be towed. It will be useful for every driver to learn how to pick up a car from an impound lot in Moscow in 2017. The procedure is similar in other cities.

What to do if your car is towed to an impound lot

This problem can be encountered not only by a violator of parking rules, but also, for example, by a driver who does not have a document with him that gives him the right to drive a vehicle. In addition, an inspector can seize a car if he identifies a malfunction that prohibits movement (in the steering or braking system).

We call the traffic police

The first thing that worries a citizen who does not find his car in the place he left is where to look for it. Initially, it is worth finding out whether there has been an evacuation or whether your car has been stolen.

To find out where to pick up a car from an impound lot in Moscow in 2017, you should call the police (02) or directly the towing service (+7 495 531-25-55) and clarify the answer to this question. Also, do not forget to find out which traffic police department is in charge of the area from which the vehicles were evacuated.

We pay the fine and receive a certificate

Taking the documents for the vehicle with you, you should visit the traffic police department under your jurisdiction. Here you need to pay a fine and receive a certificate that allows you to pick up the vehicle.

Before going to the impound lot, it is worth calling and clarifying the details. In a particular situation, it may be necessary to perform some other mandatory steps for the procedure adopted in a particular region.


We pick up the car from the impound lot

To pick up your car, you need to make sure that you have all the required documents:

  • permission to issue obtained from the traffic police;
  • documents for the vehicle certifying your ownership of it;
  • OSAGO policy.

If a citizen who is not the owner is picking up the car from a parking lot in Moscow, you will also need a power of attorney in his name.

If the documents are left in the cabin

Quite often, a situation arises when the car is taken away along with the documents in it, which makes it difficult for the owner to prove his rights. It is clear that such a situation occurs if the evacuation occurs outside the presence of a citizen. In this case, the instructions on how to pick up a car from the impound lot look a little different:

  • First of all, you need to find out which parking lot your car is in. It is enough to get the phone numbers of the parking lots closest to the place where the vehicle went missing and call.
  • By contacting a special employee. parking lot, you should write an application for opening.
  • In the presence of an employee who fills out the protocol, the car is opened, from where you take the necessary papers.
  • An employee seals the car.

After this procedure, you need to proceed as described above.


If your car is threatened with evacuation in your presence, it is better to take all possible measures to ensure that it is not taken to a specialized storage location. This will avoid unnecessary expenses.

How to avoid evacuation

For example, if, during an inspection by an inspector, it turns out that you forgot your driver’s license at home, you should deliver it for presentation yourself or with the help of relatives. For this you are entitled to a fine (800 rubles), but you will not be deprived of your vehicle.

To avoid having to pick up the car from the impound lot, indicate in the protocol that you are asking for a delay of an hour or two for the delivery of documents.

If you are detained for driving a faulty car and are not allowed to drive, it is better to call a tow truck yourself and deliver the vehicle to your parking lot, garage or service station. This will not be cheap, but it will still result in a smaller amount. And, in addition, it will not require unnecessary loss of time traveling to departments and parking lots.

It is also worth remembering that they do not have the right to transport vehicles if there is a person inside. If you stay inside, you won’t lose your car, but this risks liability for opposing traffic police or police officers.


How to avoid a fine

It is worth paying special attention to what is reflected in the protocol. This is a very important moment. After all, if there are inaccuracies in it or it is filled out with violations, then it may be declared invalid, which is why the fine issued on its basis is also canceled.

The most common mistakes are the use of unsuitable special equipment to evacuate a car with an automatic transmission or a low-slung vehicle. For such vehicles it is necessary to use special types of tow trucks.

It is also worth checking the malfunctions and visual characteristics described in the protocol. This will help identify scratches or damage that the car received during the evacuation process, which is also important for the owner. Only after this can you pick up the car from the impound lot in Moscow.


Before picking up your car from the impound lot, pay the fine

Amount of fines

It will not be possible to pick up a car from an impound lot in Moscow without material costs. The driver will need to pay a fine for leaving the car in the parking lot. Prices may vary slightly by city. In Moscow today the following prices apply:

  • Motorcycles: 3 thousand rubles;
  • Car up to 80 hp: 3 thousand rubles;
  • Cars up to 250 hp: 5 thousand rubles;
  • Vehicles over 250 hp: 7 thousand rubles;
  • Trucks: 27 thousand rubles.

In addition to this cost, which includes evacuation costs, the driver will need to pay for each day of downtime. Here the cost can be, depending on parking prices, from 500 rubles to 3 thousand. Therefore, you should hurry up and pick up the car from the impound lot in Moscow on the same day when it was evacuated.

Video: How to pick up a car from an impound lot in Moscow