If you never pick up your car in Texas, it keeps collecting daily storage while the lot works through its notice process, and the facility may then sell it at public auction. Along the way you can still walk in, get your belongings and papers out for free, and decide whether the bill is worth the car. For a Texas-registered vehicle, a private storage facility must mail or publish at least two notices and wait at least 30 days after the second one before it may act. When a law enforcement agency takes an abandoned vehicle into custody under Transportation Code Sections 683.011 and 683.012, the agency must send certified-mail notice within 10 days, and the owner has until the 20th day after the notice to claim the car. For a car at a storage facility, the two-notice, 30-day TDLR process applies, so ask the facility which one applies to your car. The meter does not stop just because you stopped calling.

Quick Tow EP is a referral service. We connect drivers with independent local tow operators. The driver hires and pays the operator directly, the operator quotes the price, and the operator does all the towing, roadside work and storage. Quick Tow EP does none of that work itself.

First, find out exactly what you owe and whether the car is even releasable

Before you decide anything, get the real number. A quote you got on day two is not the number on day twelve.

If the car was towed by El Paso police, it may be at the City of El Paso Municipal Vehicle Storage Facility at 11615 Railroad Drive, operated by UR Vehicle Management Solutions (URVMS). Call (915) 212-0205 or search the URVMS online vehicle database, which lists every vehicle currently stored there and its charges, per EPPD. Call before you drive out, because URVMS says some vehicles have a hold and cannot be released.

Then ask three questions when you call:

  1. What is the exact balance through today, and what does each day add?
  2. Is there a hold on the vehicle, and who placed it?
  3. What documents do I need to bring to release it?

Write the answers down with the date and the name of the person you spoke to.

What the daily storage number looks like

TDLR sets the statewide storage maximum at $22.85 per day or part of a day for a vehicle 25 feet or less, and $39.99 for anything longer, after the 2023 adjustment, per TDLR. A day begins and ends at midnight, and a facility may not charge more than one day if the car was there less than 12 hours.

Two more line items can appear on a Texas bill. TDLR allows a notification fee of up to $50, but not if the car is reclaimed within 24 hours or before notice is sent. TDLR also allows an impoundment fee of no more than $20, and only when the facility had to protect a car with broken or open doors, windows, trunk, hood or similar, plus an inventory or registration lookup, and the bill must list the exact services. A storage facility may not charge any other storage-related fees beyond what TDLR and the Occupations Code allow.

On the tow side, if the car was towed without your consent inside El Paso city limits, the City of El Paso ordinance sets the maximum nonconsent tow fee at $100 for a light duty tow, $350 for medium duty and $450 for heavy duty, per Chapter 12.54. Section 12.54.020(B) and (C) allow additional fees: up to $25 for dollies or go-jacks, and for a vehicle over 10,000 lbs, up to $55 per hour for each hour over two hours when the tow runs long. A police-ordered tow released from storage also carries an additional $20 fee collected for the police department under Section 12.54.060, and a car towed to a city-owned facility is charged a $20 impoundment fee before release. Outside city limits, like Socorro, Horizon City, Canutillo or Fabens, the TDLR statewide maximums apply unless a local rule sets lower ones.

Get your belongings and paperwork out now, and it is free

This is the step people skip, and it costs them the most. At the storage facility you may access your car to get ownership documents and to recover personal property, and you do not have to pay a fee to do this, per TDLR. If the papers proving identity or ownership are in the glove box or console, the facility must let you get to them under Occupations Code Section 2303.158.

Bring a bag and take everything: registration and title if they are in the car, insurance cards, tools, medications, kids’ car seats, work equipment, charging cables, toll tags. Photograph the car inside and out before you leave, including the odometer and any existing damage.

You cannot strip the car. TDLR says you do not have the right to remove or dismantle any part attached to the vehicle while it is at the facility. Parts bolted, screwed or wired on stay on.

Documents checklist for access and release

  • Valid photo ID: any state driver’s license or ID, any federal photo ID, or a foreign government photo ID such as a Mexico driver’s license or matricula consular, per TDLR
  • Proof of ownership, any one of: a driver’s license matching the registration record, an insurance card naming you, the title, a notarized power of attorney signed by the owner, a tax collector’s receipt plus registration renewal card, a current lease or rental agreement, or TDLR’s Personal Vehicle Owner Removal and Inspection form, which the facility must have on hand
  • Payment for the balance, if you are releasing the car
  • A power of attorney, court order or rental agreement if you are not the registered owner

A facility may not refuse release just because your valid photo ID shows a different address than the title and registration, per Occupations Code Section 2303.160. If someone else is going to pick the car up, read our guide on someone else picking up a car from the El Paso impound.

How long a car can sit before it may be sold

Texas gives a private vehicle storage facility a defined path, and it is slower than most people assume.

For a Texas-registered vehicle, a facility must mail or publish at least two notices and wait at least 30 days after the second notice before it may act, per TDLR. It may then sell the car at public sale, with the proceeds paying towing and storage and any remainder possibly paid to the owner. A car over 10 years old that is fit only for junking needs just one notice before a sale 30 days later.

Police custody of an abandoned vehicle runs on a tighter clock. When a law enforcement agency takes an abandoned vehicle into custody under Transportation Code Section 683.012, the agency must send certified-mail notice to the last registered owner and lienholders within 10 days, and they have until the 20th day after the notice to claim the vehicle by paying towing, preservation and storage charges, per Transportation Code Chapter 683. Failing to claim waives rights and consents to a sale at public auction. A car held at a storage facility follows the TDLR notice process described above, so ask the facility which process applies.

One more rule that protects you early on: for a Texas-registered vehicle, a facility may not charge more than five days of storage unless the owner notice is mailed or published, per TDLR. If you are inside that window, the bill may be smaller than you fear.

The El Paso auction date to know

URVMS and the City of El Paso hold public online auto auctions of unclaimed vehicles on the second Tuesday of every month, per URVMS.

Decide whether the car is worth the bill

Do the math on paper. Add the current balance to what you would pay to fix whatever got the car towed or impounded in the first place, then compare that total to what the car would actually sell for in its present condition. An older car with a bad transmission and a growing storage bill often loses that comparison.

Ask yourself:

  • Does the car run, or will it need a repair bill on top of the storage bill?
  • Is there a loan or lien on it? A lienholder changes the conversation, so call them.
  • Is the registration current, or is that another cost waiting? Our post on a car towed for expired registration in Texas walks through that situation.
  • Would you keep it if it were free today?

If the answer is no, stop paying attention to the car and start paying attention to the paperwork. If the answer is yes, move fast, because every day adds to the total.

If you let it go, handle the title and insurance questions

Letting the lot sell the car is a decision, not a disappearance. You may call the TxDMV title line at (888) 368-4689 or (512) 465-3000 with questions about your title record, and ask your insurer what it needs.

Call your insurer and ask them to remove the vehicle from the policy once it is gone, and ask what they need as proof. Do not cancel coverage on a car you still own and might still be driving.

Also check whether the car is creating a separate problem where it sits. Under El Paso Municipal Code 9.08.010, an uncovered junked vehicle or junk vehicle parts may not be stored in a residential area where visible from the street, and reports go through El Paso 311, which lists Junk Vehicles as a request type. Our post on reporting an abandoned car in El Paso covers that process.

Your realistic alternatives

  • Pay and release it. Fastest path if the car is worth keeping. Bring the documents from the checklist and confirm the balance first.
  • Pay and have it moved. If it is not drivable, arrange a tow to your home or a shop. For a Tesla, the owner’s manual recommends a flatbed with all four tires off the ground.
  • Sign it over or sell it for junk. If the car is a loss, a junk car removal operator may handle the pickup, and our post on junk car paperwork in Texas explains what to sign.
  • Walk away and handle the paperwork. Accept the auction, then call TxDMV and your insurer as above.

If the bill is the only thing standing between you and the car, our post on getting a car out of the El Paso impound and the one on El Paso impound fees go deeper on the money side.

Frequently asked questions

How long can a car stay in impound in El Paso?

There is no single fixed limit, because it depends on who holds the car. For a Texas-registered vehicle, a private storage facility must mail or publish at least two notices and wait at least 30 days after the second before it may sell, per TDLR. For an abandoned vehicle a law enforcement agency takes into custody under Transportation Code Section 683.012, the agency must send certified-mail notice within 10 days, and the owner has until the 20th day after the notice to claim it. A car at a storage facility follows the TDLR notice process. URVMS and the City of El Paso hold public online auctions of unclaimed vehicles on the second Tuesday of each month, per URVMS.

What happens if you don’t pick up your car from impound in Texas?

Storage keeps adding day by day, notices go out, and the vehicle may be sold at public sale, with the proceeds applied to towing and storage. TDLR says any remainder may be paid to the owner. Failing to claim an abandoned vehicle held by a law enforcement agency within the 20-day window waives your rights and consents to the auction under Section 683.012.

When does the El Paso impound auction happen?

URVMS and the City of El Paso hold public online auto auctions of unclaimed vehicles on the second Tuesday of every month, per URVMS. Check the URVMS site for the current listing before that date if you are trying to buy or track a specific car.

Can I get my belongings if I don’t pay?

Yes. TDLR says you may access your car at the storage facility to recover personal property and ownership documents, and you do not have to pay a fee to do that. You cannot remove or dismantle parts attached to the vehicle while it is stored.

Do storage fees keep going?

Yes, they accumulate daily until the car is released or sold. TDLR’s statewide maximum is $22.85 per day or part of a day for a vehicle 25 feet or less, and $39.99 for longer, after the 2023 adjustment. A day runs midnight to midnight, and a facility may not charge more than one day if the car was there less than 12 hours.

Can I let the impound keep my car?

You can decide not to reclaim it, and the facility will follow its notice and sale process. That does not end your paperwork, so call TxDMV about the title record and your insurer about the policy. If you want the car gone without the auction, a junk or salvage pickup may be the cleaner path.

When to call for a tow

If you have decided to keep the car but it will not start or is not safe to drive after weeks in the sun and dust, you need it moved from the storage lot to your home or a shop. The same applies if a breakdown on I-10, US-54 or Loop 375 is what put you here in the first place. Call (915) 320-5573 and Quick Tow EP will connect you with an independent local tow operator.