Why there's no fixed 30-day impound hold in Westwego
Louisiana doesn't run a fixed 30-day impound hold. Here's the real clock that runs on a towed car in Westwego instead.
What Louisiana law says
Some networks claim every impounded car sits for a fixed 30 days no matter what. Louisiana doesn't run that way. Instead, state law sets a notification clock: under La. R.S. 32:1720, the storage facility holding your car has to mail you, and any lienholder, formal notice within 10 business days of getting your information from the state, or 5 business days if it arrives electronically, sent by mail with a certificate of mailing. That notice has to spell out the facility's details, the towing authority, your storage date and charges, plus your right to request an administrative hearing and the deadline for requesting one. If the car has a lien on it, once that notice goes out, the lienholder can get the car released by paying the full balance and signing a hold-harmless agreement under R.S. 32:1720.1. Meanwhile the storage bill keeps running: at the City of New Orleans' own Claiborne and Almonaster lots, that's $19 a day, capped at $500 total, so the bill has a real ceiling. There's no single published date when a towed car in New Orleans gets sold off automatically; the real deadlines are the notice window and the hearing-request window, and missing those is what actually costs you the car. Quick Tow New Orleans is a private tow company, not the storage yard or a state agency. We can't set a release date or waive fees.
How it works in Westwego
- 1 Know there's no fixed 30-day rule
Louisiana doesn't force a universal 30-day hold. What actually runs is a notification and fee clock set by state law.
- 2 Watch the notification clock
The storage facility has to mail you, and any lienholder, formal notice within 10 business days of getting your information, or 5 business days if it's sent electronically, with a certificate of mailing.
- 3 Read what the notice tells you
It has to spell out the facility, the towing authority, the charges, and your right to request an administrative hearing, plus the deadline to request one.
- 4 Track the storage bill
At the City of New Orleans' own pound, storage runs $19 a day, but it's capped at $500 total, a real ceiling most places don't set.
- 5 Know the lienholder path
Once that notice is mailed, a lienholder can get the vehicle released by paying what's owed in full and signing a hold-harmless agreement.
- 6 Act inside the hearing window
You, or a lienholder, can request an administrative hearing to contest the tow. Missing that window is the real risk, not some fixed 30-day date.
What this looks like around Westwego
Algiers tows run through the Orleans Parish pound and its $500 storage cap. Everywhere else on this side of the river, Gretna, Harvey, Marrero, Westwego, Terrytown, and Belle Chasse, the car sits at a private lot under state law instead, so confirm the daily rate with the yard directly.
Westwego anchors the western end of the Westbank Expressway corridor, one of the metro's lower-income markets, where older vehicle stock and a higher share of budget, no-AAA households make straightforward pricing and fast response the things that win jobs a premium-branded competitor won't fight for. Westwego sits in Jefferson Parish, where the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, (504) 363-5500, handles impound matters. No parish-specific rate ordinance could be confirmed, so the Louisiana Public Service Commission's statewide cap, $152.50 an hour for Light Duty, applies. State rules also cap what a yard can charge for personal-property retrieval, and forbid any fee at all for retrieval during normal business hours, worth knowing in a price-sensitive market like this one. Cash payments that require change owed back must be refunded by mailed check within 10 days if change isn't available on the spot. Ask the yard for an itemized bill before paying anything. Fourth St and River Rd run past the historic Westwego ferry landing and the Fourth Street farmers market corridor. Westwego's 2020 population was 8,568, with the lowest median household income in this research set, $30,126, and roughly 28.3% below the poverty line.
Common Westwego questions
Does Louisiana really hold a car for 30 days after impound in Westwego?
No, that's not how Louisiana's law works. There's no universal 30-day rule. State law instead sets a notification deadline, 10 business days or 5 if electronic, and gives you a window to request a hearing.
How long does the storage yard have to notify me in Westwego?
Under La. R.S. 32:1720, the facility has to mail you notice within 10 business days of getting your information, or 5 business days if it's sent electronically, with a certificate of mailing.
How much does storage cost while I sort it out in Westwego?
At the City of New Orleans' own pound, storage runs $19 a day, capped at $500 total. Confirm the exact number with the yard if your car's at a private lot instead.
Can Quick Tow New Orleans release my car early or waive fees in Westwego?
No, we're a private tow company, not the storage yard or a state agency. We can't waive fees or set a release date, but we can help with transport once your car is released.
Related help for Westwego
Storage hold timeline in the rest of the West Bank area
Need your car towed once it's released in Westwego?
We can't waive the yard's fees. We can tow it home the moment it clears.