Rules
Colorado Springs Impound Lot: Getting Your Car Back
If Colorado Springs Police towed your car, start with the city's online search at findmytowedcar.org. City tows usually go to the CSPD Impound Lot at 2725 East Las Vegas Street, phone (719) 667-2777. It's open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and closed the third Thursday of each month. To drive out, bring your registration, insurance and driver's license.
How do I find my towed car in Colorado Springs?
You walk back to where you parked, and the spot is empty. Take a breath. First, use the city's Search for My Vehicle tool. Since April 2026, it covers three kinds of tows:
- Tows by Colorado Springs Police (CSPD)
- Abandoned cars towed by City Neighborhood Services
- Private property impounds and repos
The result tells you where the car is stored. It may be at the city lot. It may also be at a lot run by the city's contract tow company. If it's at the contract lot, call that company. Its fees and pickup rules come from them, not the city.
Search turned up nothing? Call the CSPD non-emergency line at 719-444-7000. If nobody towed it, report it stolen right away. The city says late theft reports can still leave you owing fees.
What if a different agency pulled me over?
The city lot only holds cars impounded by the City of Colorado Springs. If another agency stopped you, call them instead:
| Fountain Police | 719-385-8555 |
|---|---|
| El Paso County Sheriff dispatch | 719-390-5555 |
| Colorado State Patrol dispatch | 719-544-2424 |
That matters on the edges of town. A stop on I-25 near Fountain or out past Falcon may not be a CSPD tow at all.
Why would CSPD tow my car?
The city lists the most common reasons on its impound page:
- Your car sat in the same spot on a street or alley for 72 hours. The city says this often starts with a neighbor's complaint.
- It was parked illegally.
- It had no proper plates, or an expired permit.
- You crashed and went to the hospital.
- It broke down and became a traffic hazard.
- The driver was arrested, or the car is evidence in a case.
The breakdown one catches good drivers. Your car dies on Powers Boulevard during rush hour. You walk off to find help. If it's blocking traffic, police can have it towed. Get it moved yourself first, and the impound never happens.
When is the Colorado Springs impound lot open?
| Address | 2725 East Las Vegas Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (719) 667-2777 |
| impound@coloradosprings.gov | |
| Hours | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday |
| Closed | Weekends, city holidays and the third Thursday of each month |
The lot also closes now and then for training, inventory or other city business. It posts those closures on its page ahead of time. Check before you drive over.
The phone can be hard to get through. The staff are often out on the lot or at the window. The city asks you to read its FAQ first. If you still need help, email your VIN and your question. Your VIN is on your registration, title or insurance card.
One upside: storage fees aren't charged on weekends, city holidays or any day the lot is closed.
What do I need to get my car out?
It depends on how the car leaves the lot.
To drive it out
- Valid registration that matches the plates on the car
- Valid insurance (digital proof is fine)
- A valid driver's license
Your name has to be on the registration. The lot may already have your DMV records on file digitally. Bring what you have anyway, and ask staff what else you need.
To have it towed out
- Valid registration or the title
- Valid ID
- A tow truck licensed by the Colorado PUC, at the lot by 3:45 p.m.
That 3:45 p.m. cutoff is firm. The tow truck operator must be in the lobby by then, or the car stays another night.
To grab your stuff only
Bring your registration or title and your ID. You get one visit, with a time limit. You can't take anything bolted, wired or attached to the car. The page lists both 3:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. as the cutoff, so get there before 3:30.
The lot takes cash, Visa and MasterCard. It doesn't take personal checks. Use the fee search by VIN on the city's tool to see what you owe before you go.
Can my spouse or a friend pick it up?
Only with paperwork. Being married or being the parent doesn't count. The city won't release a car to anyone not on the registration without proof the owner said yes.
The person picking up brings the ownership papers. They also bring one of these:
- A power of attorney
- A notarized statement from the owner
- An email the owner sent ahead to impound@coloradosprings.gov, with a copy of their ID, the VIN and the name of the person picking up
The email route is the fastest if you're out of town or at work. If someone borrowed your car and got it towed, you still owe the fees. The city is clear on that.
Can I fight the tow or the fees?
Yes. City Ordinance 10.25.105 gives you a post-tow hearing. You file a written request in person at Colorado Springs Municipal Court, 224 E. Kiowa St., Room 108. You have 10 days from the date you got the impound notice.
Bring your registration or title and any tow receipts. The hearing is informal. The court can waive all the fees, part of them, or none. This hearing isn't available for cars towed as evidence.
My car is on hold. Now what?
A hold means you can't see the car, take things from it or claim it yet. Call the CSPD officer on the case, or the District Attorney's office if it holds the car. The lot needs a written release from every agency. A phone call won't do it. Storage fees don't build up while police hold your car. Fees may also be waived if your car was stolen.
How long before the car goes to auction?
The city mails a notice to the owner and lienholder on file with the state. If nobody claims the car within 30 days of that notice, it can go to auction on propertyroom.com or be sold for scrap. Once it's up for auction, you can't claim it back. You won't owe the fees after it sells, but you lose the car.
What if my car won't start at the impound lot?
This happens a lot, especially in the cold. NOAA normals for the Colorado Springs airport show about 157 nights a year at or below freezing. A few cold nights on the lot can drain a weak battery.
The lot has strict rules here. Read them before you plan:
- You may bring your own jump box and try to start it.
- Nobody can drive another car in to give you a jump.
- You can't change a tire, swap the battery or add gas on the lot.
- You can't push the car off the lot or push-start it.
- If it won't drive for any reason, it must be towed out.
So a dead car means a tow, with a PUC licensed truck at the lobby by 3:45 p.m. Call early in the day. Tell the dispatcher it's a tow out of the CSPD lot on East Las Vegas Street and where it's going. A car tow to your home or a repair shop is the usual plan.
Once you're off the lot and on a public street, the rules change. If it dies again, a jump start may get you home. If you got it out after a spring storm and slid off a side street, a winch-out can pull you back onto the road. The city gets about 38 inches of snow a year, per NOAA normals.
Can Sentinel get my car out of impound?
No. Sentinel doesn't do impounds or private property tows, and only the city can release your car. What we can do starts after the release.
Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. We lock your price by text before anyone is sent, and we check on you by text until help arrives. That's our Stay-With-You Promise. You can track your truck on a map, too.
If the car quits on I-25 on the way home, turn on your hazards and stay buckled in. Colorado's move-over law covers a stopped car with its hazards on. If anyone is hurt or you're stuck in a live lane, call 911 first. For roads and weather around town, see our Colorado Springs towing page.
Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.
Colorado Springs Impound Questions
Is the Colorado Springs impound lot open on Saturday?
No. It's open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. It's closed weekends, city holidays and the third Thursday of each month. Storage isn't charged on closed days.
Do I need insurance to get my car out of impound?
To drive it out, yes. You need valid insurance, and digital proof works. To have it towed out, you need registration or title and ID instead.
Can someone jump my car at the impound lot?
Not with another car. The lot lets you try your own jump box. If that fails, the car must be towed out by a PUC licensed truck that reaches the lobby by 3:45 p.m.
My car isn't in the city search. Where is it?
Call CSPD non-emergency at 719-444-7000. If the Sheriff, State Patrol or Fountain Police stopped you, call that agency. If no one towed it, report it stolen.
Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: City of Colorado Springs: Impounded Vehicles, Search for My Vehicle, Colorado PUC towing rates, NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals, C.R.S. 42-4-705.
