Car Impound After DUI Arrest
There are a lot of details to a DUI arrest that many people aren’t aware of until they are actually going through it themselves. Even for those who have recently been arrested, the process is extremely complicated and confusing, adding to the stress already present while facing a criminal charge. One aspect that we are frequently asked about is the status of your car after being arrested for driving under the influence in Arizona.
Extreme DUIs Require Impound
A police officer uses his/her discretion as to whether to impound the car. After you have been pulled over and the officer makes the determination you are under the influence, your car can sometimes be impounded. This is where is gets tricky. The police officer will give you a copy of a vehicle impound report (usually pink or yellow), and a copy will also be given to the impound lot. This paperwork outlines the details of the arrest including the blood alcohol content. If the paperwork says your blood alcohol level was so high that the charge could be an extreme DUI or aggravated DUI, then your car will have to be impounded for 30 days. You will not be allowed to collect your car until 30 days after the arrest. If the police officer determined the blood alcohol was low enough that it will most likely be a regular DUI, or if it was a drug DUI, then you will be able to go down to the impound lot and get your car out immediately.
How To Get Your Car Out
A few nuances to be aware of: if the car is not registered to you, the person arrested, then the car will be able to be retrieved immediately. So, if you were driving your friend’s, spouse’s or parent’s car, you don’t have to worry about any period of time without the vehicle. However, the registered owner must be the one to collect the car. Also, if you are married, your spouse may be able to get your car out of impound earlier than 30 days, but you will not be allowed to drive the car.
After Your Car Has Been Impounded, Call Our Lawyers
Having your car impounded is a difficult obstacle for everyone and it’s the one thing that you must deal with right after a DUI arrest. These are just a few of the legal details of a DUI. Each case and each client is unique. When we are hired for a DUI, our main immediate concern is to put our client at ease and let them know we will be there to answer any and all questions they have about the DUI, criminal process, and the subsequent fallouts. This absolutely reduces stress and worry by preventing confusion and being available for our clients whenever they want to discuss the details of their case.