'Inventory Search:' You Just Got Arrested After a Night Out. Here’s What Really Happens to Your Car Once It Gets Towed

Maybe you were out being amazing, and you over-amazed even yourself, making a really bad call to get behind the wheel of your car. So you cut a deal with yourself: "It's just three blocks home. Hands at 10 and 2 o'clock. No ‘Big Dawgs’ on blast. Absolutely no picking up the phone."

But despite careful driving, flashing lights appear in your rearview.

Of course, drunk driving isn't the only reason police will pull you over: a routine traffic stop can go south for a million reasons (especially in school zones). And if you get arrested, your car gets towed. And that’s when things get confusing. 

That's where ex-felon and juris doctor holder Rebuild with Ryan (@rebuildwithryan) can help. He breaks down the aftermath of your car getting taken away.

What Happens to Your Car After An Arrest?

Ryan’s TikTok promises instruction on "what to do if your car gets towed after an arrest." People clearly really want to know.

He explains that once you’re arrested at a traffic stop, your car gets towed. "And here's where most people mess up," he says. "They think police automatically get to go through [the vehicle]. But they actually don't."

He adds that if your car is impounded, the only thing the police can do is conduct an "inventory search, " which is supposed to be "very limited." 

"It’s not a fishing expedition to tack you on new charges," he says. "The purpose is to log the valuables in your vehicle and to try to protect the department from claims that they've stolen something from you or damaged something." But, "the cops often use that inventory search as a pretext to dig deeper. If they find something illegal, they'll claim it was in plain view. That's where your lawyer can challenge it under the Fourth Amendment," he explains.

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Arrested? Get a Lawyer

There's an old episode of Homicide: Life on the Street where the department videographer makes a video where he jokes that anyone detained should just say one word: lawyer.

The comments section in Ryan's TikTok shares that same energy. One commenter—whose username is appropriately Nope—wrote an essay:

"An inventory search is conducted for any valuables, correct. How small is a 24k gold ring? Cops can look into any [spot] that could possibly hold any valuables. That doesn't mean they can rip open seats, but they can search anywhere in the vehicle that could possess something valuable. That also means the car's battery and spare and catalytic converter. These are valuable in some areas and are worth noting for inventory."

Another person underscores the excruciating cost often associated with an impounded car (not to mention arrest). Harryjackson569 recounted a recent Sunshine State encounter: "In Hernando county Florida they used the pink dinosaur towing place to take my car. It was there 2 days and they charged me almost $600."

Impound Rules Vary, But You Need to Move Fast

Rules differ from state to state, but urgency is key. Ryan says that to reclaim your car, you’ll need your release paperwork from the jail, a valid ID, proof of ownership, and money to pay those storage and towing fees, which add up quickly.

He says that even if you can’t afford to get it immediately, call the towing company and ask whether they offer payment plans, or, if they have any "hold options."

"Waiting even a week can mean hundreds or thousands of dollars," Ryan warns. "If the police claim they need to keep it as evidence, get your lawyer on it immediately. They’ll need to file a motion for the release of property once the case allows it."

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Why is Towing and Impound So Expensive?

Opinions range from the conspiratorial to the practical as to why towing and subsequent storage fees can add up so quickly. One Redditor grumbled, "Towing industry lobbied for a high rate, and since nobody else was paying attention, they got it."

Worcester Towing takes a more specific approach, citing the cost of equipment, the need to be on call 24/7, and labor.

But the storage fee for a vehicle just sitting on a lot? Multiple users on the forum ClutchFans have an answer for that, too: "because they can."

The upshot? Listen to Ryan: "If you ever get arrested, and your car gets towed, don’t just wait. Act fast, get the paperwork, and protect your rights before that ‘inventory search’ becomes a new charge."

Motor1 reached out to Ryan via email. We’ll update this if he responds.

Update Nov. 12: In an email to Motor 1, Ryan said he lives live in the Piedmont region of North Carolina.

"My knowledge comes from a combination of life and work experience and formal legal education," he said. "I was involved in narcotics trafficking at a high level. I have been through the federal prison system. I have been the subject of state and federal surveillance as both an investigative and non-investigative subject. I was forced to learn a lot in the process to survive."

He adds that he posts to help people, often about whatever is on his mind, sometimes about current events or changes in the law.

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