How much does it cost to get a car out of impound in South Side?
A plain-English guide to impound and storage costs in South Side: 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 South Side
Inside the city the numbers are published and they are not ours. Under Municipal Code 9-92-080 the City of Chicago charges $250 to tow a vehicle under 8,000 pounds and $350 at or above it, with storage at $50 or $100 per day on the same weight split. Payment is cash, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express or Diners Club only, with no checks and no money orders. The four pounds, Central at 500 E Wacker Dr, O'Hare on Bessie Coleman Drive, Pound 2 at 103rd and Doty and Pound 6 at 701 N Sacramento, all run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Note that the city's winter parking-ban page publishes a different set of figures for ban tows, a minimum $150 towing fee, a $60 ticket and $25 a day storage, so check which one applies to you.
Auto Pound #2 at 103rd and Doty Avenue is on this side and runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and it is one of the two pounds the city sends abandoned vehicles to. That makes getting a car out of that specific lot a real local question here rather than a generic one. A City of Chicago tow has published fees: $250 to tow a vehicle under 8,000 pounds and $350 at 8,000 pounds or more, with storage at $50 or $100 per day on the same weight split, under Municipal Code 9-92-080. Payment is cash, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express or Diners Club only, with no checks and no money orders. To release a vehicle you need photo identification, proof of ownership as a title, a current registration card or a bill of sale under 30 days old, current state plates and a Chicago Vehicle Sticker where required, and all charges and fines paid in full. Vehicles are normally stored no less than 21 days from the date the city mails notice, with a right to one 15-day extension under 9-92-100(a); request it from the Auto Pound Office at 312.746.4954.
How we work South Side
The South Side covers Douglas, which most people call Bronzeville, at roughly 21,100 residents, Grand Boulevard at 25,200, Hyde Park at 30,600, Woodlawn at 23,800, South Shore at 53,600, Chatham at 39,900, Englewood at 23,200, Auburn Gresham at 43,800, South Chicago at 27,600 and Roseland at 36,600. Chatham and Auburn Gresham are both about 92 percent Black, Roseland 91.8 percent and South Shore 90 percent; Hyde Park is the outlier at 40.7 percent White, 26 percent Black and 16.9 percent Asian, shaped by the University of Chicago and the Midway Plaisance. The Dan Ryan, the Bishop Ford and I-57 carry the expressway traffic, Lake Shore Drive runs south toward the Skyway, and Stony Island, Cottage Grove, Halsted and the 79th and 87th Street corridors carry the rest. The Metra Electric District runs parallel to Lake Shore Drive through Bronzeville and has five stations along South Shore's branch. The single most useful local fact on this side is that Auto Pound #2 sits at 103rd and Doty Avenue, open around the clock, and it is one of the two pounds the city sends abandoned vehicles to. Operators cover the Dan Ryan and Bishop Ford, the lakefront south of 47th, and the Hyde Park campus, running flatbed for expressway recovery and wheel-lift for the local call.
South Side impound & storage fees at a glance
Ranges reflect Chicago City Sides conditions. Every job is quoted before dispatch, with the number stated on the call, with the mileage that goes into it.
Want the exact number for your car? Call (773) 830-6930 and we'll quote the job in under 60 seconds.
Common South Side cost questions
How much does it cost to get my car out of impound in South Side?
If the City of Chicago towed it, the fees are published. Under Municipal Code 9-92-080 the tow is $250 for a vehicle under 8,000 pounds and $350 at 8,000 pounds or more, and storage is $50 or $100 per day on the same split. Payment is cash, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express or Diners Club only; checks and money orders are not accepted. Call 311 first to find out which pound has it, because the city also relocates vehicles rather than impounding them, and a relocated car has not gone to a pound at all. Note that the city's winter parking-ban page publishes different figures for ban tows: a minimum $150 towing fee, a $60 ticket and $25 per day storage.
What do I need to get my impounded car back in South Side?
For a City of Chicago pound you need valid photo identification for everyone claiming the vehicle, proof of ownership as a valid title, a current registration card or a bill of sale not more than 30 days old, a lease agreement if you are the lessee, and an original notarized letter from the owner if you are acting for them. The vehicle also needs current state plates and a Chicago Vehicle Sticker where required, and a valid driver's licence if you are driving it out. All charges and fines have to be paid in full. A suburban impound sets its own list, so ask the department that ordered the tow what it needs.
What happens if I don't pick up my car in South Side?
A vehicle at a City of Chicago pound is normally stored for no less than 21 days from the date the city mails notice to the registered owner, and under 9-92-100(a) the registered owner has the right to one extension of 15 days before it is sold or otherwise disposed of. Request that extension from the Auto Pound Office at 312.746.4954. If the vehicle is never claimed it can be disposed of or sold at auction, and the owner still owes the fines and fees. Storage accrues the whole time, so calling early costs less than calling late.
Can Quick Tow Chicago get my car out of impound in South Side?
No, and it is worth being straight about that. We connect drivers with private tow and roadside operators; we are not the pound, the village or the police department holding your car, so we cannot waive anyone's fees or release it faster. What we can do is help you work out who has it and what the process is, and line up an operator to move it once it is released. Call (773) 830-6930.
Related towing info for South Side
Impound & storage fees in the rest of the Chicago City Sides area
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