Vehicle impoundment

Verified 20 November 2023 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)

What are the reasons for impounding a vehicle? How do you know where your vehicle is? How do I get it 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.

Tableau - Main impoundment cases
Situation	Impounding pattern
Immobilization of vehicle	Vehicle immobilized for an offense that did not cease after 48 hours
Stopping or parking	- Stopping or parking dangerous, inconvenient or abusive - Failure to comply with motorway rules if the driver is absent or refuses to stop the infringement. For example, stop on the central separating strip of the motorway.
Traffic disorder	Vehicle obstructing or preventing traffic
Technical inspection	Non-compliance with technical inspection obligations
Protection of the environment	- Failure to comply with the rules for safeguarding the aesthetics of classified sites and landscapes - Non-compliance with traffic rules in natural sites - Recreational use of a snowmobile outside the planned grounds - Abandoned vehicle in forest under forest regime - Abandoned vehicle in a public or private place - End-of-life vehicle (wreck)
Vehicle of 3,5 tons or more	Non-compliance in a tunnel with the safe distance between 2 vehicles
Motorcycle, tricycle, motor quadricycle, moped	Non-compliance with wearing a helmet and mandatory equipment
Moped	Use of a device for exceeding the speed, cubic capacity or power limits of the engine, or moped converted for this purpose
Offense that may result in confiscation of vehicle	For example, driving the vehicle despite the notification of a decision of administrative suspension
Offense traffic-code seriousness	- Driving without a driving license - Driving under the influence of drugs - Impaired driving - Driving under the influence of alcohol - Refusal to comply with drug use checks - Refusal to comply with BAC checks - Determination that the maximum authorized speed is exceeded by 50 km/h or more - Refusal to comply
Criminal liability	- The perpetrator of an offense that cannot justify a domicile, a job in France or a surety - Perpetrator of an offense who has not paid flat-rate fine within 4 months and cannot justify a residence in France
Vehicle non-conformity and its equipment	- Putting into service or keeping in service a vehicle or trailer without having been subjected to a reception - Non-conformity of equipment where an approved type is mandatory

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.

The impoundment is decided :

By a judicial police officer (OPJ) (National Police or National Gendarmerie)
Or by a deputy judicial police officer (APJA), the head of the municipal police
Or by the mayor or, in Paris, by the prefect of the police, in case of violation of the rules on safeguarding the aesthetics of sites and classified landscapes.

If your vehicle has been stolen, alone the judicial police officer (OPJ) shall be competent to decide on impoundment.

Depending on the reason for impounding, the prior authorization of the public prosecutor or the prefect is mandatory.

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.

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.

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.

The notification impoundment by registered letter with AR: titleContent must give the following information :

Authority that decided to impound, reason for sanction, address of impound
Vehicle classification (vehicle to be returned to the Domains service or vehicle to be destroyed)
Qualified authority to give the release impoundment
Requirement for owner or driver to present valid insurance certificate and driver's license to obtain release
Carte grise Obligation to surrender the contract and sanctions in case of non-surrender
Notice to remove the vehicle before the end of a period of 7 days, 10 days or 15 days depending on its classification. This period shall run from the notification of impoundment.
Warning that in the absence of a response to the formal notice within the specified time, the vehicle is returned to the Domains service to be sold or returned to a center VHU: titleContent for destruction
Nature and amount of costs to be reimbursed
Possibility to request a copy of the descriptive sheet
Remedies

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 because there is a time lag between removing the vehicle and registering it in the pound information system.

Find your impounded vehicle

Warning

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

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.

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

Office of the Commissioner

Police Department

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.

When you pick up your vehicle, its state duty match to that of descriptive sheet.

If your vehicle is damaged, you can ask the reparation of damage.

Examples include damage sustained during loading or guarding, vehicle rushed back for destruction or resale.

Address your complaint by registered letter with AR: titleContent to the pound authority (commune or prefecture).

Attach the descriptive sheet and supporting documents (photos...) proving that the damage occurred during the removal or during the period of custody of the vehicle.

In case of refusal, you can appeal to the administrative court of the place of removal of the vehicle.

Who shall I contact

Administrative Tribunal

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.

Passenger car

General case

Physical fixed asset: €7.60

Pre-operations: €15.20

Removal: €121.27

Daily care: €6.42

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: €126

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:

to 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

Judicial Tribunal

When a offense or a fifth class contravention is found, the decision to impound the vehicle must be authorized by the public prosecutor.

In case of decision to discharge being definitive in nature, you can claim reimbursement of the costs of the pound in respect of legal costs.

You must make the request in a six-month period according to the release decision.

The request is made by statement to graft counter-receipt or by registered letter with AR: titleContent.

Attach at your request the documents following:

Copy of the release decision
Proof of payment of removal and impoundment costs

The amount of the refund is calculated on the basis of charges for collection and custody.

Reimbursement of costs shall relate only to the period before the release decision impoundment.

An impoundment decided by the prefect on a provisional basis must be authorized by the public prosecutor in a 7-day period.

If the judge cancels the impoundment, there are 2 possible situations:

If the public prosecutor has not extended the impoundment at the end of the 7-day period, you can ask the impoundment authority (commune or prefecture) for reimbursement of the costs of removal and the first 7 days of custody.
If the public prosecutor has extended the impoundment, the Ministry of Justice will cover the costs of custody from 8^e day.

Find your impounded vehicle

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

Find your impounded vehicle
Search tools
Search for a vehicle abducted or moved to Paris
Online service

Traffic offensesService-Public.fr
Driving licenseService-Public.fr
Immobilization of a vehicleService-Public.fr
Confiscation of the vehicleService-Public.fr
Moving or impounding a vehicle in ParisCity of Paris

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Vehicle impoundment

If the removal of your vehicle has not started

If the removal of your vehicle has started

Who shall I contact

Within 3 days of removal

More than 3 days later

If they hear from you before the end of the opt-out period

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

Who shall I contact

Passenger car

General case

Paris

Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse

2 or 3 wheels

General case

Paris

Heavy goods vehicle

Between 19 and 44 tons (inclusive)

Between 7.5 and 19 tons (inclusive)

Between 3.5 and 7.5 tons (inclusive)

Other registered vehicle

Who shall I contact

Who can help me?

AR :

VHU :

Recevoir la lettre de Service-Public.fr

Votre avis nous intéresse !

Vehicle impoundment

What are the reasons for impounding?

What is the impounding procedure?

How do I get your vehicle back before it gets impounded?

If the removal of your vehicle has not started

If the removal of your vehicle has started

How are you informed of the impoundment?

How do I find your impounded vehicle?

Who shall I contact

How to get your vehicle back at the pound?

Within 3 days of removal

More than 3 days later

If they hear from you before the end of the opt-out period

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

What are the rates for an impoundment?

Passenger car

General case

Paris

Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse

2 or 3 wheels

General case

Paris

Heavy goods vehicle

Between 19 and 44 tons (inclusive)

Between 7.5 and 19 tons (inclusive)

Between 3.5 and 7.5 tons (inclusive)

Other registered vehicle

What are the penalties if you interfere with the impounding of your vehicle?

How do I challenge the impounding of your vehicle?

Who shall I contact

Who can help me?

Statute and miscellaneous references

Online services and forms

Additional topics

AR :

VHU :