How much does it cost to get a car out of impound in New Orleans?
A plain-English guide to impound and storage costs in New Orleans: release fees, daily storage, the paperwork you need, and how to get your car back for less.
Why impound & storage fees costs what it does in New Orleans
Impound costs inside Orleans Parish follow the City of New Orleans' own fee schedule, raised July 27, 2026. A Light Duty tow and impound runs a $228.75 minimum for the first 90 minutes, then $76.25 per additional half hour. Confirm current storage and boot amounts with the Parking Division. We do not publish those two figures while City sources conflict. Release happens at the Claiborne Avenue Auto Pound, 400 N. Claiborne Ave, open 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week; call (504) 658-8100 to confirm a vehicle was towed or (504) 658-8284 to check a fee balance.
New Orleans sits entirely in Orleans Parish, and it's the seed market for the whole metro: a below-sea-level city whose aging drainage pumps turn a normal thunderstorm afternoon, not just a named storm, into standing water that strands cars. Add a car culture running from six-figure Garden District SUVs to generations-old family sedans, plus a tourism economy that fills the streets with unfamiliar rental drivers, and demand never really slows. Any tow inside the city follows the City of New Orleans' own fee schedule, raised July 27, 2026: a $228.75 minimum for a Light Duty tow and impound, storage confirmed with the City, not stated here. Release happens at the Claiborne Avenue Auto Pound, 400 N. Claiborne Ave, open 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Call (504) 658-8100 to confirm a vehicle was towed, or (504) 658-8284 to check a fee balance. You can inspect the car and retrieve personal belongings before paying anything, and Louisiana law (R.S. 32:1720) requires written notice of your right to an administrative hearing if the car sits unclaimed. Corridors like I-10, I-610, and Claiborne Ave carry most of that volume, from the French Quarter to Audubon Park.
How we work New Orleans
New Orleans is the hub city and the busiest call area on the whole map, running from the French Quarter and the CBD out through Mid-City, Broadmoor, Carrollton, and Uptown to the Bywater and Marigny arts district along St. Claude Ave. Each of those neighborhoods carries its own dedicated page. Two call types define this market like nowhere else on the Gulf Coast: flood-stranded cars and Mardi Gras parade-route tows. Below-sea-level ground and an aging Sewerage and Water Board pump system mean a hard summer thunderstorm puts standing water in the street fast, at spots like the Carrollton Ave underpass and along Claiborne Ave, and that happens on an ordinary July afternoon, not just during a named storm. If your engine stalled in rising water, don't crank it again, a hydrolocked engine is a different job than a jump start, so say the car took on water when you call. Carnival season brings its own towing economy: parade routes post hard no-parking zones and the city moves cars fast, towed vehicles land at the retrieval lot on North Claiborne Ave, and we help drivers get there instead of guessing. Calls come in from downtown, the Superdome, City Park, and the French Quarter, and the operators we dispatch run flatbed by default through the tight Quarter streets and for any car that's taken on water, with wheel-lift covering the ordinary breakdown everywhere else.
New Orleans impound & storage fees at a glance
Ranges reflect Orleans Core conditions. Every job is quoted before dispatch, with the number stated on the call. Ask for an itemized invoice when the job is done.
Want the exact number for your car? Call (504) 474-5530 and the operator covering your zone confirms your price before the truck rolls.
Common New Orleans cost questions
How much does it cost to get my car out of impound in New Orleans?
The City of New Orleans sets its own impound fee schedule for Orleans Parish, raised July 27, 2026. A Light Duty tow and impound runs a $228.75 minimum for the first 90 minutes. Confirm storage and boot with the City before you pay. Ask the yard for an itemized bill.
What do I need to get my impounded car back in New Orleans?
Bring a valid driver license, current vehicle registration, and proof of insurance. If a law enforcement agency ordered the tow, get their release document first, the yard can't hand the car over without it. Every invoice must be itemized under Louisiana law, so ask for one before you pay.
What happens if I don't pick up my car in New Orleans?
Louisiana law (R.S. 32:1720) requires the storage facility to mail you notice within 10 business days, or 5 if it arrives electronically, spelling out your right to request an administrative hearing under R.S. 32:1727. Storage fees keep accruing until you respond, and an unresolved vehicle can eventually be sold to cover the charges, so picking it up early is always cheaper than letting it sit.
Can Quick Tow New Orleans get my car out of impound in New Orleans?
We're a private tow and roadside company, not the storage yard holding your car, so we can't waive the yard's fees or release it faster. What we can do is help you understand the process and tow your car wherever it needs to go once the yard releases it. Call (504) 474-5530.
Related towing info for New Orleans
Impound & storage fees in the rest of the Orleans Core area
Need a real quote in New Orleans?
Call the line direct. The price before the truck rolls.