If your car is gone and San Antonio police towed it, start at the City of San Antonio Vehicle Impound Facility, 3625 Growdon Rd, San Antonio, TX 78227, phone (210) 881-8440. You can also search for it online first at search.autoreturn.com, or call SAPD’s non-emergency line at (210) 207-7273 to confirm where it went. If your car was towed by the Bexar County Sheriff instead of SAPD, it likely went to a different lot entirely. Here’s how to sort out which one applies to you.

Step one: figure out who towed it

Before you drive anywhere, figure out whether this was a police tow, a private-property tow, or a county tow. That changes where your car actually is.

If SAPD towed it (parked illegally, involved in a crash, abandoned, or seized), it goes to the City of San Antonio Vehicle Impound Facility on Growdon Rd, run by Alanis Wrecker Service under contract with the police department.

If it was towed from a private lot (an apartment complex, a store parking lot, an HOA), the tow company that did it is required to post a sign at the property with their name and number. Check the entrance signage where your car was parked, or ask the property manager which company they contract with.

If the Bexar County Sheriff towed it from unincorporated county land outside city limits, it goes to a different contractor: Texas Towing, 422 Steves Ave, San Antonio, TX 78204, (210) 220-1000. This only applies outside San Antonio’s city limits; inside the city, SAPD handles it.

Step two: search before you drive

Save yourself a trip. Search.autoreturn.com lets you look up a towed vehicle online before you head to any lot. If you’re not sure whether the city has your car, call SAPD’s non-emergency line at (210) 207-7273 and ask them to check.

Step three: go to the Growdon Rd lot with the right documents

The City of San Antonio Vehicle Impound Facility is at 3625 Growdon Rd, San Antonio, TX 78227. Call (210) 881-8440 before you go to confirm your car is there and to check current hours; the city lists it as open 24 hours, but directories sometimes conflict, so a quick call saves a wasted drive.

Under City Code § 19-54, you need:

  • Your certificate of title, or other satisfactory proof of ownership. If you don’t have the title on hand, bring whatever documentation proves the car is yours.
  • Payment for all tow and storage charges. The city’s non-consent caps are $177 to $602 depending on vehicle weight, plus $21.03 a day in storage (more for longer vehicles), a $50 notification fee, and a $20 impound fee. Bring a debit card, credit card, or e-check; the lot has to accept those, not just cash.
  • A notarized notarized owner authorization if you’re sending a representative instead of going yourself. The lot won’t release a car to someone who isn’t the owner without one.
  • A signed indemnification agreement, which you’ll sign at the lot as part of the release.

What happens if you wait too long

An unclaimed vehicle at the city lot becomes eligible for auction 30 days after the city sends owner notification. Storage charges also cap out at five days under state law unless you were properly notified, but don’t count on that to save you money: the notification fee itself and any days already stacked up before that cap kicks in still show up on your bill. The longer your car sits, the more it costs to get back. Go get it as soon as you can confirm where it is.

If your car was booted instead of towed

San Antonio’s boot program under City Code § 19-225 carries a $60 boot fee. If your car gets towed and impounded within 24 hours of being booted, that boot fee is waived. Removing a boot yourself without paying is a Class C misdemeanor with a fine up to $500, so don’t try to pry it off.

Watch for towing scams

SAPD has investigated fake tow-sign scams at events, including one using a fake “Atlas Towing” name at a concert downtown. If someone claiming to be a tow operator asks for cash only, won’t give you a lot address, or seems to have shown up faster than a real dispatch would allow, be cautious before handing over your keys or your card. A legitimate lot always has a fixed address and a phone number that answers.

If you’re trying to figure out what your tow should have cost, read how much does a tow cost in San Antonio. If your car hasn’t been towed yet and you need one dispatched, see how to get a tow truck near you in San Antonio, or check our junk car removal and accident recovery services.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the fastest way to check if the city has my car? Search.autoreturn.com online, or call SAPD’s non-emergency line at (210) 207-7273. Either one is faster than driving to Growdon Rd on a guess.

What if I don’t have my title with me? City Code § 19-54 accepts “other satisfactory proof of ownership,” not only the title itself. Bring whatever you have, registration, insurance card, purchase paperwork, and ask the lot what they’ll accept.

Can someone else pick up my car for me? Yes, but they need a notarized owner authorization along with the title. The lot won’t release the vehicle to a non-owner without that document.

How long do I have before my car gets auctioned? The city can move an unclaimed vehicle to auction 30 days after sending owner notification. Don’t wait that long; storage charges accumulate the whole time your car sits.

What if my car was towed from outside city limits, in the county? Bexar County Sheriff tows outside city limits go to Texas Towing at 422 Steves Ave, (210) 220-1000, not to the city lot on Growdon Rd.

Does Bexar County Sheriff ever take payment over the phone? No. BCSO never takes phone payment, gift cards, or crypto for a towed vehicle. Treat any request like that as a scam.