Towed or impounded vehicle in Chicago, IL
If your car has vanished from a legal space in Chicago, start by finding out whether it was towed before assuming it was stolen. The official impound page and the number to ask on are both below.
Source: chicago.gov · checked October 25, 2026
Official pages
What to do, in order
- Check for a sign or a notice. Private-property tows usually post the tow company's name and number at the entrance.
- Call the non-emergency line with your plate, make, model, and where it was parked. They will confirm an impound or take a stolen-vehicle report.
- Find out which lot holds it and what it will cost — tow, per-day storage, and any administrative release fee charged by the city.
- Take ID, title or registration, and insurance. Confirm the lot's hours and whether it takes cards before you travel.
- Keep every receipt. You need them for an appeal, and for an insurance claim if the vehicle was damaged.
Remove nothing from an evidence hold without permission, and do not attempt to retrieve a vehicle from a lot outside its opening hours.
Questions
My car is gone — was it towed or stolen in Chicago?
Call the Chicago Police Department - Headquarters non-emergency line first. Tow operators report impounds to the police within a short window, so the dispatcher can usually tell you in one call which it was. If it was not towed, you will be filing a stolen-vehicle report on the same call.
What do I need to get it back?
Normally photo ID, proof of ownership (title or registration), current insurance, and payment for the tow plus each day of storage. If the registered owner is not the one collecting, most lots require a notarised authorisation. Check the official page above — requirements vary by city and by lot.
How fast do the fees grow?
Storage is charged per day and starts immediately, so a weekend can add more than the tow itself. Lots often have limited hours and may not release vehicles at all on Sundays. Collect it as early as you can.
What if I cannot afford the fees?
Ask the lot and the city about a payment plan or a hardship waiver, and ask what the deadline is before the vehicle is sold or scrapped — that clock is usually around thirty days. If you believe the tow was wrong, ask Chicago Police Department - Headquarters how to request a tow hearing; most jurisdictions have a formal appeal with a short deadline.