Vehicle impoundment

Verified 01 March 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

What are the reasons for impounding a vehicle? How do I know if your vehicle is impounded? How to get your vehicle back? What are the fees? We tell you the rules to know about impoundment and how to do the steps.

Your vehicle may be impounded if you have committed certain traffic violations.

For example, inconvenient parking of your vehicle in double queue.

The person in charge of removing your vehicle:

  • Designate the pound to which your vehicle is transferred
  • Establishes a descriptive sheet of the vehicle before its removal. At your request, a copy of the description sheet is sent to you.
  • Write a report or a relationship indicating the reasons for impoundment

The impoundment is then carried out by uplift or the towing of your vehicle.

Before of have your vehicle removed, law enforcement check if it has been stolen.

You and your insurer are informed immediately.

Your vehicle is impounded on a precautionary basis.

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If the removal of your vehicle has not started

Removal of the vehicle to the pound starts from the moment at least 2 wheels of the vehicle have left the ground or from start of displacement of the vehicle.

Removal of the vehicle to the pound starts from the moment at least 2 wheels of the vehicle have left the ground or from start of displacement of the vehicle.

You can pick up your vehicle if you arrive before his removal.

You must pay the pre-charge impoundment if the removal vehicle is already on site:

  • €15.20 for a car
  • €7.60 for a 2 or 3 motor-driven wheel
  • €22.90 for a heavy truck.

If the removal of your vehicle has started

Removal of the vehicle to the pound starts from the moment at least 2 wheels of the vehicle have left the ground or from start of displacement of the vehicle.

Removal of the vehicle to the pound starts from the moment at least 2 wheels of the vehicle have left the ground or from start of displacement of the vehicle.

If the removal of the vehicle has started, you can pick up your vehicle if you pay the removal costs or if you agree in writing to pay them.

You must also commit to release to the public highway (illegal parking, double queue...).

If you are absent for several days, you receive a registered letter with AR: titleContent.

The letter is sent within 5working days after your vehicle is impounded.

General case

One online service allows you to search for your vehicle by entering its registration number.

If you can't find your vehicle, try searching again later. There is in fact a time lag between the removal of the vehicle and its recording in the information system of the impound.

Finding an impounded vehicle

Warning  

Not all the pounds are connected to the online service yet.

If your vehicle stays not found, or in case of difficulties, ask the police station or the gendarme closest to parking place.

Who shall I contact
In Paris

If you think that the City of Paris have removed or moved your vehicle, a specific online service allows you to search from registration number.

Find a vehicle in the pounds of Paris

If your vehicle stays not found, or in case of difficulties, ask the police station or the gendarme closest to parking place.

Who shall I contact

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Within 3 days of removal

For pick up your vehicle carte grise (and the obtain one decision of release.

To obtain release, you must submit the insurance certificate of the vehicle and your driving license valid at law enforcement officials who prescribed impoundment.

With this release, you can go to the pound for pick up your vehicle.

If a driving ban decision has been taken, you need to have a vehicle expertise out of the pound.

Your vehicle can leave the pound on platform vehicle provided it is sure.

If you use a qualified professional to tow your vehicle, you only need to present the insurance certificate. You must tell law enforcement the name of the professional you have chosen.

In any case, you must to pay the costs of the pound with the guard.

More than 3 days later

Your vehicle is classified in one of the 2 categories following:

  • Vehicle to be returned to the Domains service. This means that your vehicle is considered abandoned at the end of a 15 days from notification impoundment.
  • Vehicle to be destroyed. This means that your vehicle, after estimating its market value, is considered abandoned at the end of a 10 days from the impoundment notification, or 7 days if the vehicle has been used for urban rodeo.
If they hear from you before the end of the opt-out period

For recover carte grise your vehicle (and the vehicle if it has been removed), you must present the insurance certificate vehicle and your driving license valid.

If a driving ban decision has been made, you need to have an off-pound vehicle assessment done.

Your vehicle can leave the pound on platform vehicle provided that you are sure.

If you use a qualified professional to tow your vehicle, you only need to present the insurance certificate. You must tell law enforcement the name of the professional you have chosen.

In any case, you must to pay the costs of the pound with the guard.

If the administration is not heard from you after the end of the withdrawal period

Your vehicle is considered abandoned.

The Domains service sold or destroyed your vehicle.

If the Domains department has listed your vehicle, you can still get it back before it is sold.

To do this, you must pay the fee for listing to the service of the domains and the fee for the pound to the pound keeper.

The keeper of the pound returns your vehicle to you on condition that pay for the pound charge.

If you wish to recover your vehicle after the Domains department has listed your vehicle, you must also pay the selling fee at the service of Domaines.

The prices shown are maximum amounts.

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Passenger car

General case

Physical fixed asset: €7.60

Pre-operations: €15.20

Removal: €127.65

Daily care: €6.75

Listing: €100

Paris

Physical fixed asset: €7.60

Pre-operations: €15.20

Removal: €150

Daily care: €29

Listing: €100

Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse

Physical fixed asset: €7.60

Pre-operations: €15.20

Removal: €127.65

Daily care: €10

Listing: €61

2 or 3 wheels

General case

Physical fixed asset: €7.60

Pre-operations: €7.60

Removal: €45.70

Daily care: €3

Listing: €50

Paris

Physical fixed asset: €7.60

Pre-operations: €7.60

Removal: €49

Daily care: €10

Listing: €50

Heavy goods vehicle

The amounts vary according to PTAC of the vehicle.

Between 19 and 44 tons (inclusive)

Physical fixed asset: €7.60

Pre-operations: €22.90

Removal: €274.40

Daily care: €9.20

Listing: €120

Between 7.5 and 19 tons (inclusive)

Physical fixed asset: €7.60

Pre-operations: €22.90

Removal: €213.40

Daily care: €9.20

Expertise: €120

Between 3.5 and 7.5 tons (inclusive)

Physical fixed asset: €7.60

Pre-operations: €22.90

Removal: €122

Daily care: €9.20

Listing: €120

Other registered vehicle

Physical fixed asset: €7.60

Pre-operations: €7.60

Removal: €45.70

Daily care: €3

Listing: €50

Example :

Fees are €179 for a car impounded in Paris recovered the same day (€150 + €29) to which may be added €7.60 if your vehicle has been physically immobilized.

Obstruct pound shipment of your vehicle is punishable by a maximum penalty of 3 months in prison and one fine up to €3,750.

You also lose 6 points on your driving license.

You may also additional penalties following:

  • Suspension of the license for a period of up to 3 years (accommodation possible outside the professional activity)
  • Sentence of work of general interest
  • Sentence of fine days

To find out how to challenge the impounding of your vehicle, see the notification the impoundment decision.

The notification shall indicate to which authority to address your appeal:

  • At public prosecutor the place of removal of the vehicle
  • Or the prefect of the place where the vehicle was removed.

Within 5 working days depending on your appeal, the competent authority confirm impounding your vehicle or order the release.

For obtain cancelation of the impoundment, you must seize in parallel on court of law of the location of removal of your vehicle.

If the judge cancels the procedure, you can request reimbursement of the costs of the pound from the pound authority (prefecture or municipality).

Who shall I contact

Finding an impounded vehicle

Find a vehicle in the pounds of Paris

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region