Tip #58: Registration or ticket problems can hold up a car's release
A tow yard or police department may not release a car whose registration, insurance or ticket status has a problem. Check your own status before you go, so the paperwork is not the thing that keeps the car there another day.
Tip #58 in one line
A tow yard or police department may not release a car whose registration, insurance or ticket status has a problem. Check your own status before you go, so the paperwork is not the thing that keeps the car there another day.
Stuck right now? Skip the reading and call.
Call nowWhy paperwork can stop a release
When a car has been towed on police orders, release is not always just a matter of paying the yard. If the registration has expired, the insurance has lapsed, or the car or driver is flagged for unresolved matters, the release may be delayed until the problem is cleared. The specifics depend on why the car was towed and on the town, so the police department and the yard are the ones who can tell you exactly what applies.
Even for a car in storage after a private tow, a yard may refuse to hand it to someone who cannot show valid registration and insurance, because it has to release the car to someone entitled to drive it away.
The worst outcome is to arrive, pay, and then find out the car cannot leave. Each extra day can add storage, so a phone call to the police department and the yard before you set out is worth the time. Ask both whether anything on file would stop the release.
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Call nowWhat to check before you go
**Registration.** Look at the date on the card. If it has lapsed, renewing it may be the first step.
**Insurance.** Make sure the policy is active and that you have a current card, paper or digital as your insurer allows.
**Tickets and license status.** If you suspect something is outstanding, check with the court or the motor vehicle agency before you head to the yard.
**Who owns the car.** If it is not you, get the owner's authorization in writing.
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Call nowPlan the second leg
A car with expired registration should not be driven off the lot, and a damaged car may not be safe to drive anyway. Arrange a tow from the yard to a shop or your driveway once the release is cleared. We do not handle police or private-property tows, but we move released cars at our normal flat price: a hook fee plus mileage, quoted before the truck rolls. See local towing for how that is priced.
Call (908) 444-0129 once you know the release time. Our towing answers cover more of the questions drivers ask after a tow they did not choose.
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Call nowMore on towing rules & pricing
Keep reading, or go back to every post on the blog.
- Flatbed vs wheel-lift towing: which does your car need?
- What happens to your car after a police-ordered tow in New Jersey
- Towed from private property in New Jersey: your rights
- Towing pricing red flags in New Jersey
- Local tow company vs national roadside network: who actually shows up?
- Moving a car long distance from New Jersey: towing vs car carrier
- Tip #34: Choose the destination before the truck arrives: home, shop or dealer
- Tip #35: Ask the destination about storage charges before you pick it
- All posts
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