Car Towed in Seattle? How to Find the Impound Lot and Get It Back
Step 1: Find Out Who Towed Your Car in Seattle
Step 2: Seattle Impound Lots — Where Your Car Probably Is
Important: A Block Towing is not Lincoln Towing and we are not an impound lot. If the City of Seattle towed your car, call Lincoln Towing at (206) 364-2000 or search your plate at seattleimpound.com. We cannot release a car from their lot. What we can do is pick it up from the lot once you have paid the release, if it will not start or you cannot drive it.
Walked back and the car is gone? In Seattle it was either towed or stolen, and towed is far more likely. First call: Seattle Police non-emergency, (206) 625-5011, with your plate number. If police or parking enforcement ordered the tow, they will tell you where it is. If they have no record, the tow was from private property (see the last section) or the car was stolen, in which case report it on the same call.
This guide is written by A Block Towing, a Seattle tow company at 2918 1st Ave S in SoDo. We move cars out of Seattle impound lots every week, so we know how the process works. Facts below are checked against Seattle.gov and RCW 46.55; fees are the City’s published 2026 maximums.
- Lincoln Towing — North lot: 12220 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133. Phone (206) 364-2000. Lincoln is the City of Seattle’s contracted impound operator for public-street tows
- Lincoln Towing — South lot (“First”): 3460 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134, in SoDo. Same phone. Ask which lot has your car before you go
- Online plate search: seattleimpound.com, run by Lincoln Towing for City impounds
- Washington State Patrol tows (I-5, I-90, SR-99, SR-520, SR-509): WSP uses rotation tow companies, not Lincoln. Call WSP District 2 at (425) 401-7788 with your plate
- Private property tows (apartment lot, store, HOA): the sign at the lot entrance must name the tow company and its phone number
- Questions or complaints about a Seattle tow: Seattle Consumer Protection, (206) 386-1267
Have the plate number and VIN ready. Call first to confirm the car is at that lot before paying for a ride there.
Step 3: What It Costs and What to Bring
The City of Seattle publishes maximum fees for police-authorized impounds handled by Lincoln Towing. For 2026, for a standard car:
- Tow (Class A): $297 in the north zone, $263 in the south zone, including dolly and up to half an hour of winching
- Storage: $22 per 12 hours in the north zone, $19 per 12 hours in the south zone, for vehicles 20 feet or under. The first 12 hours are free
- Administrative fee: $35 (higher for scofflaw and DWLS impounds)
- Private property impounds have separate City maximums, including storage of up to about $42 per 12 hours and an after-hours release fee of up to $100
Check the current rate sheet on Seattle.gov before you go; the lot must charge no more than the posted maximum.
Bring: photo ID, proof of ownership (registration or title), and a payment method. If someone else is collecting the car for you, call the lot first and ask exactly what authorisation they need. Under RCW 46.55, if the car is not redeemed, the operator can sell it at auction once 15 days have passed after the notice of custody and sale is mailed — and storage keeps adding up until then.
Getting the car released is half the problem. Getting it home is the other half, and that is where we come in:
- Lincoln’s south lot is a few blocks from our yard. 3460 1st Ave S is just down the street from us at 2918 1st Ave S, so a pickup there is usually quick
- The car does not run. Impounds after an accident, a dead battery or a mechanical failure will not drive out. We load it on a flatbed and take it to your mechanic, a body shop or your home
- No tabs, no insurance, or you cannot legally drive. We tow it to where you can sort the paperwork
- Flat tire or dead battery from sitting. A jump start or tire change at the lot is often all it needs
- Insurance total loss. If the insurer is taking the car, tell them the same day so storage does not keep running
Pay the release with the lot first, then call us with the lot address and your plate. We quote one flat price on the phone. Call (206) 602-7416.
Step 4: Getting the Car Home from the Impound Lot
Your Rights When Your Car Is Towed in Washington (RCW 46.55)
Washington’s towing and impound law is RCW 46.55. The parts that matter most to you:
- Right to a hearing. You can challenge the impound in court, but the written request must reach the court within 10 days of when you were given the opportunity, and more than five days before any auction date. Miss it and the right is waived (RCW 46.55.120)
- Your belongings. Personal property in the car must be kept intact and returned to you on request during normal business hours for 20 days after the impound, or 30 days if you file a storage request form (RCW 46.55.090)
- 24-hour release. Registered tow operators must have someone you can reach 24 hours a day to release an impounded vehicle within a reasonable time (RCW 46.55.060)
- Posted maximums. Fees cannot exceed the published rates. Ask to see the rate sheet and keep an itemised receipt
- Damage. Photograph the car before you leave the lot and raise any new damage with the operator right away
This is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute, Seattle Consumer Protection at (206) 386-1267 is a good first call.
If you were towed from an apartment complex, store lot, business or HOA in Seattle, different rules apply:
- For most short-term private tows, the property must have signs near each entrance showing when vehicles can be towed and who to call (RCW 46.55.070). Missing or unclear signs are a common reason a tow is challenged
- The tow operator must notify law enforcement immediately after a private impound (RCW 46.55.100), which is why Seattle Police can usually tell you where the car went
- Private impound fees are capped by the City and must be posted at the lot
A Block Towing runs RCW 46.55 compliant private property towing for Seattle property managers, so we know both sides. If you manage a property, we can help you set up signage that holds up.
Need the car moved after it is released? Flatbed pickup from any Seattle impound lot, flat price, 24/7 — (206) 602-7416. See all our Seattle towing services.
Wondering what a tow should cost? Read our Seattle towing cost guide, with the City and State Patrol maximum rates.
FAQ
No. A Block Towing is a separate tow company. City of Seattle impounds are handled by Lincoln Towing at (206) 364-2000, with lots at 12220 Aurora Ave N and 3460 1st Ave S. We cannot release a car from their lot, but we can tow it home or to a shop after you have paid the release.
Call Seattle Police non-emergency at (206) 625-5011 with your plate, or search your plate at seattleimpound.com. If the tow was ordered by police or parking enforcement, it is usually with Lincoln Towing. If there is no record, check the signs at the property you parked on, or report the car stolen.
Lincoln Towing, the City’s contractor, has a north lot at 12220 Aurora Ave N, Seattle 98133, and a south lot at 3460 1st Ave S, Seattle 98134. Washington State Patrol freeway tows go to rotation companies — call WSP District 2 at (425) 401-7788. Private tows go to the company named on the property’s signs.
For 2026 City police impounds, the maximum tow fee for a standard car is $297 in the north zone or $263 in the south zone, storage is $22 or $19 per 12 hours with the first 12 hours free, plus a $35 administrative fee. Private property impounds have separate caps. Check the current rate sheet on Seattle.gov.
Under RCW 46.55, an unredeemed car can be sold at auction after 15 days have passed from the mailing of the notice of custody and sale. Storage keeps adding up until then, so collect the car as soon as you can.
Yes. Personal belongings must be kept intact and returned to you on request during normal business hours for 20 days after the impound, or 30 days if you file a storage request form (RCW 46.55.090). Bring ID.
You can request an impound hearing in court, but the written request must reach the court within 10 days of when you were given the opportunity. For private tows, missing or unclear signage is a common reason a tow is challenged. Seattle Consumer Protection at (206) 386-1267 can help.
Pay the release with the lot first, then call A Block Towing at (206) 602-7416. Lincoln’s south lot on 1st Ave S is a few blocks from our yard. We can jump start or change a tire at the lot, or load the car on a flatbed and take it to your mechanic, a body shop or your home.