Line 6 on your paper · the car
Your paper says 7 days.
That's the 7-day vehicle impound: after a breath reading of 80 or more, or a refused test, the car is towed at the roadside and held for 7 days. Know when you can get it back, what to bring, and who pays the tow and storage.
The line, word by word
Seven days. Two bills. No appeal.
- "Impounded"
- Towed, then held at a tow yard. The car is towed from the roadside and kept for the full 7 days. It comes from the Highway Traffic Act, Ontario's driving law, not from the criminal charge. It started the same night, before any judge saw anything.
- "7 days"
- For a reading of 80 or more, or a refusal. Ontario sets a 7-day impoundment for a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more and for refusing a test. 320.14(1)(b), over 80 · 320.15, refusal
- "Towing and storage"
- The owner pays both. Ontario says you must pay all the towing and storage fees at the end of the impoundment. It doesn't print an amount. They vary by tow company, so ask the yard what it charges before day 7.
Lines 5 and 6, and line 2
Count to day 7.
Calculator label: The night you were stopped · Output: The car can come out after day 7.
7 days. The car. Held at the yard, then released to the owner, who pays the tow and storage. 90 days. The licence. Suspended at the roadside, the same night. Your paper says 90 days Day on the paper. The court date. The criminal case starts at the courthouse on line 3. Which courthouse is on it?
Count your daysThe car. Impounded at the roadside. The registered owner collects it after day 7 and pays the tow and storage.
The licence. Suspended by the police, not a court, starting the same night.
The court date. The criminal case starts here, at the courthouse on line 3.
After day 7
Getting the car back, in order.
- Call the police service that impounded it.Ontario says to check with them about how to get the car back.
- Call the tow yard.Your paper may name it. Ask about the fees and its hours.
- Send someone with a valid licence.If your licence is suspended, you can't drive it out. Driving while suspended is its own charge, even for a short trip.
- The owner pays.The towing and storage fees are paid at the end of the impoundment.
About this line
Asked about the 7 days.
They towed my car. Is the 7-day impound a fine?
No. It isn't a fine and it isn't a court penalty. Ontario holds the car for 7 days after the stop. At the end, the owner pays the towing and storage fees to get it back. The tow company can tell you what those cost.
It isn't my car. Will the owner find out?
Yes. For a 7-day impoundment, Ontario says the police notify a registered owner who wasn't driving. The owner is the one who pays the towing and storage to get it back, even though someone else was at the wheel.
Can I drive my car home when it's released?
Not if your licence is suspended. The 90-day roadside suspension usually comes with the impound, and driving while suspended is its own charge. Someone with a valid licence has to collect it and drive it.
How do I find out where my car is?
Start with the police service that impounded it. Ontario says to check with them about how to get the vehicle back. Your paper may also name the tow yard. Then call the yard about its fees and hours.
Talk it through
Talk through the 7-day line.
Say the car was impounded and which other papers you have. No need to explain what happened.