My car was towed while I was away on a business trip even when my car wasn’t near the road, and neither was it on another’s private property. I wondered what rights a police officer has to tow my car from my driveway.
Therefore, can police tow your car from your driveway?
Yes, a police officer can have your car towed from your driveway if it shows a position of abandonment, illegal parking, an unregistered license, crime, and a break in a settlement.
Police officers can have your car towed but, knowing your right as a civilian, gives you an edge of defensive measures and a counterattack if your right is violated by any police officer.
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Can Police Tow Your Car From Your Driveway?
Yes, as annoying as it may sound, your car can be towed from your driveway without your consent. This isn’t as random as picking up bars of candies in a Walmart store.
If your car was towed from your legal driveway, it means you violated a rule that requires a quick move of the government against you.
There are various reasons why this can happen, but the most recognized reason is if your car isn’t registered.
If your driveway is an open spot where it is easy to see through it while passing, a police officer can quickly detect if it has a license plate or not. If it doesn’t, a police officer can check and have it towed.
Aside from having a “No license problem or a registration problem”, if your car has been reported to break rules, your car can be checked and searched for verifications.
What Can Make the Police Tow Your Car from Your Driveway?
You just need a few crimes to have the officer in a black suit shirt and pants to have your car towed away for impoundments.
Knowing your right can save you from extra charges and being molested for crimes you didn’t commit, but if one of these is what you are charged for, then it is legal to tow your car, even if it is on your private property.
A few of these unbending rules include:
1. Getting Caught in an Unregistered Car
Unless you want to visit the station soon, don’t leave your vehicle with an unregistered car.
If your driveway is so open to the road that anyone can see clearly if your car has a license or not if you have a closer place to have it kept until you can renew your registration, do that to avoid calling the attention of any police officer passing through that lane.
However, it’s rare to see police tow an unregistered car that is parked on the driveway. As long as the car was not used in a crime, or engaged in a chase by the police, it’s rare to see the police tow a car from the driveway because it has not been registered.
2. If it is Reported
If you committed a crime with the car, it is the easiest way to have it towed, even if it is in your driveway. You can’t do drugs; neither should your car be a vehicle identified at a crime scene nor have any criminal offense attached to it.
If found to be guilty of these things, your car will be towed as quickly as possible. This can be done to call you in for questioning, impounding your vehicle to conduct more searches.
How Long Can The Police Hold Your Car In Impound?
The police can have your car impounded anytime, but getting it out of impoundment is likely to take 28 – 30days before your vehicle can be released, but if more investigation is required, your vehicle can stay impound for a longer time.
The release is depending on a lot of variables like what crime is committed and being investigated upon, what role your car is noted for in the investigation, and what laws of the states are binding impoundment in the place you stay.
To get your car back, it will require you to submit a lot of details like your car title, registration documents, license, and other documents. These investigations and processes can take 30days or more to get it all settled out.
Tips On Preventing Police from Towing Your Car from your Driveway
Your car can be towed. It will require you to take some precautions in your daily habit to avoid getting hooked into the chains of the stressful moments of having your car towed at any time. Having to pay fees after your car is being towed can cost you a fortune. It can be pretty expensive.
You can do any of these things to be safe:
1. Avoid Breaking the Law with the Car
If you actually don’t want the police to tow your car, then you will have to try as much as you can to avoid committing any crime with the said car because even if you ran and manage to get home and pack the car in your garage or driveway, the police will still have to tow it or impound it.
So, stay away from trouble, don’t drive the unregistered car after your grace period is over, and during stop and search, don’t engage the police in a “police chase” because that will definitely get your car towed by the police even if it’s parked in your driveway.
2. Remove a Tire
If you won’t be using your car for a while and your registration isn’t valid, removing a tire from your car can delay any agencies from towing your vehicle.
Even if this can buy you time, it can be disgracing to see your car in a bad condition but if you don’t give a damn about how it looks at the moment, this approach can buy you enough time to avoid a swift towing of your vehicle.
3. Keep the Handbrake or E-brake Activated
You can call it tricky, but if you are adamant about preventing your car from being towed, another simple and strategic approach is to keep the hand brake activated.
The function of the hand brake is that it leaves your car just right on the spot it was parked, it will be difficult to have it towed even by the government except they will tamper with the vehicle and that can be a detriment to them.
Even if they are hell-bent on making this happen, it will take a hefty use of their time to avoid this process of frustration, the governments or agencies are likely to reach out to you before they can do anything.
To apply your hand brake, use the handgrip and press the button at the end of your brake grip. After doing that, raise the lever.
To test the effect, use the break. If you can feel enough resistance, then your handbrake is activated and ready to cause a few troubles to anyone who intends to have the car towed.
4. You Can Use a Tire or a Wheel Lock
Get it locked up and you can stay in peace wherever you are imagining no cases of your car being towed away. Get a wheel lock from any automobile store and have it installed on your wheel or your tire.
This can be broken or disjointed, but who will rather go through that stress? Absolutely only a few people but you can be sure; that someone will reach out to you before this is done.
Nonetheless, it is important to note that removing a tire, activating the handbrake, and using a tire wheel lock cannot stop your car from being towed by the police. Just make sure the said car is not involved in any illegal activities where the law is broken.
Final Thoughts
So sad that your car can be towed if it violates a few rules even if it is on private property like your driveway, but you can always tweak the entire process.
Knowing your right and knowing a few tips to get the government frustrated and keeping yourself on the safer end isn’t a bad idea if you ask me.