Driver licensing
Vehicle impoundment
To help keep our roads safe, police have the authority to take a vehicle off the road and impound it in a storage lot.
Reasons your vehicle can be impounded
impaired driving
driving while unlicensed or improperly licensed
driving while suspended or prohibited
excessive speeding (more than 40km per hour over the posted speed limit)
street racing or performing a stunt
improperly seated on a motorcycle
Getting your vehicle back
When your impoundment ends, you may go directly to the impound lot to collect your vehicle. You will still need your required ID and Notice of Impoundment and to pay towing and storage fees to the impound lot.
Find out more about the Vehicle Impoundment Program.
Appealing a vehicle impoundment
ICBC administers the filing of appeals on behalf of RoadSafetyBC for vehicle impoundments that are 30 days or longer.
To file an appeal for impoundments that are 30 days or longer, book an appointment to visit an ICBC driver licensing office within 14 days of receiving the Notice of Impoundment. You’ll need to bring the Notice to your appointment.
If you can't collect your vehicle
You can authorize someone else to pick it up at the impoundment lot on your behalf. First, book an appointment to visit an ICBC driver licensing office to pick up an Owner’s Authorization form. The person collecting your vehicle must follow the steps above and bring the completed Owner’s Authorization form to the driver licensing office.
