Start with the City’s Find My Towed Vehicle lookup, then call (504) 658-8100 to confirm whether your car was towed, and (504) 658-8284 to check what you owe. Both ring the Department of Public Works Parking Division. Impound payments go to 400 N. Claiborne Ave. Vehicles stored over 24 hours may be moved to 10200 Almonaster Ave. Confirm pickup with the City.
The Claiborne Avenue Auto Pound
The city’s primary payment-and-release lot sits at 400 N. Claiborne Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, directly under the expressway at N. Claiborne Ave and Conti St. The city’s own site lists this location as open 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., seven days a week. A separate city page describes a Cashiering Office at the same address open 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, for ticket and boot payments, a different window than vehicle release. Call ahead to confirm same-day hours before you drive over, especially outside standard business hours.
The City directs impound payments to 400 N. Claiborne Ave, even when a vehicle is stored at 10200 Almonaster Ave. Vehicles held longer than 24 hours may be moved to Almonaster. Confirm the pickup location with the City before traveling. See the City’s July 2026 retrieval instructions.
Before the city releases your car, you also have to clear any parking citations 90 or more days old, on top of the towing and storage fee itself.
What it costs now (the fees changed July 27, 2026)
Light Duty tow and impound: $228.75 minimum for the first 90 minutes, then $76.25 per additional half hour. Medium Duty: $335 minimum for the first hour, then $167.50 per half hour. Heavy Duty: $430.50 minimum for the first hour, then $215.25 per half hour. Confirm current storage and boot amounts with the Parking Division. We do not publish a City daily storage or boot figure while those sources conflict.
Confirm current storage and boot amounts with the Parking Division before you pay. We do not publish those two figures while City sources conflict. For the Light Duty tow minimum, see how much a tow costs in New Orleans. Vehicles impounded before July 27, 2026 may be billed under a prior schedule.
If your car was towed during Mardi Gras or a parade
New Orleans tows along parade routes during Carnival. Confirm the current no-parking window with the City or NOPD before you leave a car on a posted route. We do not publish unnamed Mardi Gras tow counts. If the City towed you from a parade route, confirm storage before you travel.
If the City towed your car from a parade route, confirm where it is stored before traveling. Pay at 400 N. Claiborne Ave and follow the City’s pickup instructions. Bring a valid ID. If you’re not sure whether your car was towed for a parade violation or something else entirely, the (504) 658-8100 line is still the fastest way to confirm.
Boot rules under Louisiana law
If your car has a boot on it instead of being gone entirely, Louisiana law puts real limits on how that works, statewide, not just in New Orleans. State law (La. R.S. 32:1741) requires any company that boots vehicles to carry at least $1,000,000 in general liability coverage and post a $10,000 surety bond. Required signage has to be at least 18 inches by 24 inches, with lettering at least 2 inches tall, naming the company, listing a phone number, and stating the removal fee. That phone number has to be staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day. Here’s the protection most people don’t know about: no boot removal fee can be charged at all if the company doesn’t get someone to your car within 90 minutes of your call.
For an improper-parking boot specifically, the company has to have photographic proof of the violation. You can request an administrative hearing within 10 days to contest either the boot itself or the fee. For the fuller walkthrough on contesting a tow you believe was wrong, see our how to dispute a tow guide.
To get a city boot removed in New Orleans specifically, call the Boot Release line at 1-855-437-9340, or pay in person at the Administrative Hearing Center (1340 Poydras St, Suite 1100, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) or the Cashiering Office at 400 N. Claiborne Ave (8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday). The boot comes off once your outstanding parking violations are paid.
If a private company towed you, not the city
Everything above covers a city tow: a parking ticket, a meter, a parade sweep, an abandoned-vehicle report. A different set of rules applies if a private property owner, landlord, or HOA had your car towed off a lot without your consent, or if a private tow company handled an accident-scene or police-directed removal.
That situation runs under the Louisiana Towing and Storage Act (La. R.S. 32:1711 et seq.), a state law, not a city ordinance. Property owners have to post signage naming the towing company, with its address and phone number in lettering at least two inches tall, at every entrance and exit. The tow operator has to give you an itemized invoice, and every fee it charges has to match the same statewide LPSC rate schedule that regulates nonconsensual towing across Louisiana. See our private property towing guide for the complete rundown.
State law also requires the storage facility to mail you formal notice within 10 business days (5 if sent electronically) of your information reaching them, describing your car, where it’s stored, why, and what it costs, along with your right to request an administrative hearing to contest the charges. If a lienholder is involved, they can get the car released once they pay the full charges and sign a hold-harmless agreement.
If you’re in Jefferson Parish instead
Jefferson Parish runs its own process, separate from the City of New Orleans. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office handles impound matters for unincorporated Jefferson Parish out of 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, LA 70058, (504) 363-5500, with in-person hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call JPSO at (504) 363-5500 to confirm the yard and how to pay. JPSO’s public payments page currently lists tax, license, and traffic-ticket payments, not impound. Don’t assume the New Orleans fee schedule above applies on the Jefferson Parish side. The statewide LPSC rate caps still apply to any nonconsensual or private-property tow there, but the parish’s own impound process runs under its own local ordinance.
If your car is abandoned, not towed
If you’re trying to report a vehicle rather than recover one, New Orleans defines a vehicle as abandoned if it’s left in violation of a parking law for an extended period, inoperable and unattended on public property for more than three days, on private property without consent for more than 24 hours, or on city property for more than three days. Reports go through 311, available 24/7 by phone or online. See our abandoned vehicle removal guide for the full process.
If this turns into a longer breakdown
If tracking down your car turns into needing a tow from wherever it ends up, or you need help getting a replacement vehicle moved, call (504) 474-5530. We match you with a licensed operator who quotes before the truck rolls.
Frequently asked questions
Who do I call first if my car is missing in New Orleans?
Call the City of New Orleans Parking Division at (504) 658-8100 to confirm whether your car was towed, or (504) 658-8284 to check what you owe. If it turns out a private company towed you, look for the signage they’re required to post with their name and phone number.
What does the Claiborne Avenue pound cost now?
Effective July 27, 2026, Light Duty tow and impound runs a $228.75 minimum for the first 90 minutes, then $76.25 per additional half hour. Confirm storage and boot amounts with the City. Medium and Heavy Duty run higher. Vehicles impounded before that date may use a prior schedule.
My car got towed during a parade. Where do I get it?
Confirm the pickup location with the City first. Impound payments go to 400 N. Claiborne Ave, even if your car was moved to Almonaster. Bring valid ID. Call (504) 658-8100 first if you’re not certain your car was towed for a parade violation.
Can they boot my car without warning?
Louisiana law requires clear signage naming the booting company and its fee, and for an improper-parking boot, the company needs photographic proof. You can request a hearing within 10 days to contest a boot you believe was wrong.
Is there a time limit on how fast a boot has to be removed?
Yes. If the booting company doesn’t get someone to your car within 90 minutes of your call, it can’t charge any removal fee at all.
What if I’m in Jefferson Parish, not Orleans Parish?
Jefferson Parish runs its own impound process through the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, separate from the City of New Orleans. The statewide LPSC rate caps still apply to nonconsensual tows there, but call JPSO directly at (504) 363-5500 for parish-specific details.