Impounded in Anchorage? Finding Your Car After a Tow

In Anchorage, a towed car goes one of two ways. Police impounds are handled by APD and the Municipal Attorney's Vehicle Impounds desk at City Hall. Private lot tows are handled by the tow company the property owner called. Either way, your first call is APD at (907) 786-8500 or 311. They can tell you if police had it towed, which company has it, or help you report it stolen.

Was my car towed or stolen?

You come out of a store on Northern Lights, and the spot is empty. Before you panic, take two minutes.

• Look for the tow sign. Private lots in Anchorage must post signs before they can tow. The sign must list a phone number where you can learn where the car went.
• Read the curb and the clock. In winter, the city's snow plan bans parking downtown from 2 to 6 a.m. That's 3rd to 9th Avenue, from Ingra to L Street. Cars left there get towed.
• Call APD. Dial (907) 786-8500 or 311. Give your plate and where you parked.

Every private lot tow gets an APD incident number before the tow starts. The tow company must also tell APD within an hour after your car reaches its lot. So APD has a record either way. If nobody does, ask for help filing a stolen vehicle report.

Why would Anchorage police impound my car?

APD lists the main reasons on its impounds page:

• Driving under the influence, or with a suspended, revoked or canceled license
• Driving with no proof of insurance
• Being on the Scofflaw list for too many unpaid traffic fines
• A junked or abandoned car
• No registration, or registration expired a year or more, on public property
• Parked on public property in a way that's a hazard or blocks traffic
• Being held as evidence in an investigation

If you were there, the officer tells you the car is being impounded and which company is towing it. If the car was parked and empty, APD says you may not get a notice at all. APD has no tow trucks of its own. It uses contracted local tow companies, and the reason for the tow decides which company and which lot.

How do I get my car back from a police impound?

For the four big reasons, the Municipal Attorney's Vehicle Impounds desk handles your release. Those are DUI, a bad license, no insurance and Scofflaw. Here's the order the city lays out.

1. Wait for the paperwork. The desk usually gets impound records from APD by 1 p.m. the next business day. Towed Monday afternoon? They can help after 1 p.m. Tuesday. Towed Friday night? Not until after 1 p.m. Monday.
2. Prove you own it. Only a registered owner can get the car out. You need DMV papers that show it, like the title or registration.
3. Contact the desk. Call (907) 343-4575 or visit City Hall, 632 W. 6th Ave., Suite 730, on the 7th floor. The desk is open Monday to Friday, 1 to 4 p.m. It's closed weekends and city holidays. You can email your documents instead of going in.
4. Book a pickup. The city's contracted tow yard holds these cars at 2134 E 88th Ave. Call the yard to learn its tow and storage charges and set an appointment. The city's impounds page lists its number and online booking link.
5. Bring cash. The city says all fees, both the city's fee and the yard's charges, are paid in cash at your appointment.

Towed for some other reason, like a hazard or an expired tag? The desk can't help. Contact APD Records at (907) 786-8600 or email APDImpounds@anchorageak.gov.

What do I bring to the tow yard?

The city's list for your appointment:

• The vehicle title and its current registration
• The license plate number, or the last six digits of the VIN
• Current proof of insurance, paper or digital
• The owner's government-issued photo ID
• A valid driver's license for whoever drives it home

Missing a document? Contact the Alaska DMV first. Showing up without one can mean a second trip across town.

What if a private lot towed me?

This is the other road. A store, apartment or office lot calls a tow company, and the car goes to that company's yard. City code calls this a private party impound. Here's what Anchorage code says about it.

Signs come first

At a commercial lot, signs must be at least 30 by 30 inches, with letters at least two inches tall. They must be up for at least 24 hours in a row. You must be able to read them from a parked car, day and night. On lots with more than 20 spaces, a sign must stand at each driveway. The sign must say where parking is banned and what's not allowed. It must also give a phone number where you can find your car. If the number belongs to the property owner, it must be answered every day, all day. A recording is allowed, but you must get a call back within an hour with the yard's name, phone and street address.

The tow has steps too

Before the driver hooks up, the code says they must photograph your car showing the violation. They must also get the property owner's written okay. A tow company can't tow from a commercial lot with no signs posted. The city's tow packet says that if it does, you're owed a full refund and any damages.

What if I catch the truck before it leaves?

Run out, but stay calm. Anchorage code gives you a way out on the spot.

• Not loaded yet? The driver must tell you the on scene release fee right away. Pay it and move the car, and they must let it go.
• Already loaded? The driver must stop the tow and tell you the loaded release fee. Pay it, and the car is released with no extra charge.
• Can't pay? The truck can leave with the car. But you must be allowed to take your things out first, free.

"Loaded" has a set meaning in the code. Any wheel off the ground, or on a dolly or flatbed, counts. The chains don't need to be on yet.

What should I know at a private tow yard?

• Look before you pay. The yard can't make you pay before you inspect the car. If a pet was inside, you get it back first, with no fee.
• No made-up charges. Rates are capped in AMC 9.54.030, and nothing outside that list can be added.
• Hurry. Storage can't start until 24 hours after the car reaches the yard and APD is told about it.
• After 5 p.m. costs more. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Release outside those hours can carry a capped fee.
• Get it in writing. You get a written release and an invoice. The APD incident number must be on it.

Don't leave the car sitting. If it stays unclaimed and unpaid, the yard can sell it.

Does Sentinel do impounds in Anchorage?

No. Sentinel doesn't do impounds or private property tows. We can't release your car, and we can't tell you where it is. Only APD, the city desk or the tow yard can do that.

Our part starts once the car is yours again. NOAA's normals for Anchorage's airport show about 188 days a year with a low at or below freezing. A car that sat a few days in a yard may not start. A jump start may be all it needs. If it won't run, a car tow can take it from the yard to your home or a shop.

Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. We text you a locked price before anyone is sent. Then we check on you by text until your driver pulls up. That's our Stay-With-You Promise. For the Glenn, the Seward and winter driving around town, see our Anchorage towing page.

Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.

Anchorage Impound Questions

Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: Anchorage Police: Impounds, Municipality of Anchorage: Vehicle Impounds, Checklist for Retrieving Vehicle, Anchorage Tow Operator Packet and AMC 9.54, Anchorage Snow and Ice Control Plan, NOAA climate normals.