Oregon DUI Impound: How to Get Your Car Out After a DUII Arrest

Your Vehicle Is Accumulating Charges Right Now

After a DUII arrest in Oregon, the arresting officer typically has your vehicle towed to a contracted impound lot. Storage fees start accruing after a four-hour grace period and accumulate daily until you pick up the vehicle. Waiting even a few days adds $75–$100+ to your total bill.

The impound lot has no interest in your court case timeline. If you don't claim the vehicle promptly, the lot can file a lien after three days and eventually auction it.

What It Costs by Area

Towing and impound fees vary significantly across Oregon. Here's what to expect in the major areas:

Portland metro (Multnomah County):

• Base hookup/tow: approximately $196
• City service fee: $53
• Data fee: $23
• Daily storage: $25–$32 per day after the four-hour grace period

Eugene (Lane County):

• Law enforcement release fee: $125
• Daily storage rates comparable to Portland

Salem / Marion County:

• Release fee: approximately $120
• Storage rates in the $25–$30/day range

Bend / Deschutes County:

• Release fee: approximately $100

Lincoln County:

• Release fee: approximately $150

These figures don't include the tow company's own release processing fees, which some lots charge on top of the police release fee.

How to Retrieve Your Vehicle

The process has two parts: getting a release from law enforcement, then paying the tow lot.

Step 1: Get the police release authorization. Call the arresting agency (city police or county sheriff) and ask what they require for a vehicle release. Most require:

• Valid driver's license (or a companion with a valid license)
• Proof of vehicle ownership or registration
• Proof of insurance
• Payment of the release fee (cash or money order at most stations — credit cards are often not accepted)

If you don't have a valid driver's license (because the officer confiscated it at arrest), bring your Implied Consent Combined Report — the bottom portion serves as your temporary driving permit.

Step 2: Pay the tow lot and retrieve the vehicle. Take the release authorization to the impound lot. You'll pay the hookup fee plus accumulated daily storage. Bring enough cash or a debit card — some lots don't accept credit cards.

Timing Matters

Every day your car sits in the lot costs you $25–$32. If you were arrested on a Friday night, the police release desk may not be open until Monday — that's already two to three days of storage fees before you can even start the process.

Call the arresting agency first thing on the next business day. Some jurisdictions allow a family member or registered owner to retrieve the vehicle even if they weren't the one arrested, which can speed things up if you're dealing with court-related obligations.

Don't Let Impound Costs Distract You From the 10-Day Deadline

The vehicle impound is an immediate financial hit, but it's not the most expensive mistake you can make this week. The applicable 10-day window to request a DMV implied consent hearing is running. For a blood-test failure, the period is measured from the date DMV sends the suspension notice; for other listed failures and refusals, it runs from the day after arrest. Missing that deadline costs you the right to challenge your license suspension — a far more consequential loss than a few days of storage fees.

Handle the impound retrieval quickly, but make sure the DMV hearing request goes out first. Our Oregon First-Offense DUI Guide includes a day-by-day timeline that sequences the impound retrieval, hearing request, and SR-22 filing so nothing falls through the cracks.

See more Oregon guides →