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Impounds — Anchorage Police Department

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impounds UNit

The APD Impounds Unit was created to keep the police department in compliance with municipal ordinances and state laws governing the impoundment of vehicles. 

so your car has been impounded…

The Anchorage Police Department may impound a vehicle for a number of reasons:

  • You are driving a vehicle while uninsured.

  • You are driving while on the Scofflaw list. 

  • Your vehicle meets the definition of a junked or abandoned vehicle.

  • Your vehicle is on public property and has registration that is expired by a year or more.

  • You are arrested for Operating Under the Influence (OUI) or you were driving a vehicle while your driver’s license was revoked, canceled, or suspended. 

  • Your vehicle is parked on public property in such a manner that is hazardous and may either be damaged or cause a disruption to the normal flow of traffic.

  • Your vehicle was impounded for evidentiary purposes.

If you are physically with your vehicle at the time the decision is made to tow it, the officer on scene will advise you that the vehicle is being impounded.  If you are not with your vehicle when it was towed (the vehicle is unoccupied and parked), then you will NOT be advised by APD that the vehicle was impounded. 

For more information regarding the ordinances and laws under which the APD Impounds Unit operates, check out Anchorage Municipal Codes Title 9 and Title 15.20.  For further explanation of the associated fines and fees, and for the rules regarding the retrieval of an impounded vehicle, please visit the civil law page of the municipal website.

 For more information, please email APD Impounds at APDImpounds@anchorageak.gov.

frequently asked questions:

+ I parked my car and went shopping when I came out my car was gone! What do I do?

If you notice your vehicle is not where you letft it, contact APD at 786-8500 or 3-1-1 to speak with an APD employee. They will be able to tell you whether or not APD had the vehicle towed and what company has it, or they will be able to assist you in filling out a stolen vehicle report, if appropriate.

+ An officer stopped me for a traffic violation and then had my vehicle towed. What gives? and how do I get it back?

There are a few reasons why your vehicle could be impounded during a traffic stop:

  1. You're driving without insurance.
  2. You were operating under the influence.
  3. You have at least $1,000 in outstanding delinquent traffic citations.
  4. You were driving with a suspended, revoked, or canceled driver's license.

The officer on scene at the time the decision is made to tow the vehicle will advise you that it is being impounded and which company will be towing. In any of those cases, contact the Municipal Attorney's Office - Civil Division - during normal business hours for instructions on how to get your vehicle released. 343-4545 or visit http://www.muni.org/departments/legal/civil/pages/impoundsinfo.aspx for details.

+ Does APD have their own tow trucks?

No. APD has sole cource contracts with local towing agencies for various types of tows. The reason a vehicle is towed dictates which towing company completes the impound and where the vehicle is taken.

+ APD had my car towed and now it's damaged. What now?

Report the damage to the tow company that towed your vehicle.

+ My car was stolen and used in a crime and now it's been impounded. How do I get it back?

If your vehicle is seized as evidence, APD cannot release the vehicle until authorized by the prosecuting agency or the retention time is up. In the meantime, make sure to keep your address up-to-date with the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). When one of those two conditions is met, APD will try to contact you by phone to alert you of the release to set up a day and time to claim your vehicle. If they cannot reach you by phone, they will send a letter to the address on record with the DMV. If the letter does not reach you before the vehicle is towed from APD's impound lot to the tow company lot you will be held responsible for the cost of the tow and the amount of time it's in the tow company's posession.