Private Property Impound Services

A stranger's car is in your assigned stall. A sedan has sat in the fire lane at your shopping center all weekend. Someone left a truck in your driveway in Shoreline and walked off. AK Roadside & Towing removes unauthorized vehicles from private property across King and Snohomish counties, under Washington's impound law, 24 hours a day. If your car was towed, this page also tells you how to get it back.

Call (425) 616-2002

AK Roadside & Towing tow truck for private property impounds

AAA Authorized Provider

Same Rate Day or Night

GPS-Based ETA Every Call

Fully Licensed & Insured

Photo Confirmation Every Tow

No After-Hours Fees — Ever

~20 Min Avg. Response in Kirkland

Serving Kirkland Since 2017

Who we impound for

Homeowners with a driveway or a private lot. Condo and HOA boards with assigned parking. Apartment complexes in Lynnwood, Bothell and Redmond with more residents than stalls. Shopping centers, restaurants, offices and warehouses with customer parking that fills up with cars that never shop.

If you own or manage the property, or you are the person in charge of it, you can authorize a tow. The vehicle owner does not have to be present.

What Washington law requires of a property owner

Private impounds in Washington run under chapter 46.55 RCW. Three rules matter before the first truck arrives.

First, the tow must be done by a registered tow truck operator at the direction of the property owner or the owner's agent, and that person signs an authorization at the time and place of the tow (RCW 46.55.080). A tow company cannot pick the car and sign for you.

Second, the arrangement between the property and the tow company must be in writing. The contract states the hours impounds may be authorized, who may authorize them, and the current impound charge (RCW 46.55.063).

Third, nonresidential property needs signs. See the next section.

We walk you through all three on the phone. Call (425) 616-2002.

Signs, and when you can tow without them

Washington splits private property into two kinds.

Residential property, which the law defines as a lot with four living units or fewer (RCW 46.55.010), needs no signs. A homeowner or the person in charge can have an unauthorized vehicle impounded right away on written authorization (RCW 46.55.070).

Everything else, including an apartment complex with more than four units, a condo building, a strip mall or an office lot, is nonresidential under this law. On nonresidential property a vehicle parked less than 24 hours can be impounded only if the property is posted (RCW 46.55.070).

The sign must stand near each entrance and in a conspicuous spot on the lot. It must state the hours a vehicle may be impounded and the name, phone number and address of the tow company where the car can be redeemed. State rule sets the size at 15 by 24 inches or larger, with lettering anyone parking can read (WAC 308-61-145).

An unposted nonresidential lot can still have a car removed once it has sat 24 hours (RCW 46.55.010).

Ask us about posting your property when you call.

How to request a tow

Call (425) 616-2002. A dispatcher answers, day or night.

Tell us the address, the make and color of the vehicle, where it sits on the property, and where you will meet the driver. You or your agent signs the authorization when the truck arrives (RCW 46.55.080). The driver photographs the vehicle, loads it and leaves.

If the car leaves before we get there, call back and cancel. We dispatch from Kirkland, Lynnwood and Seattle.

What happens to the vehicle

The vehicle goes to a secure storage yard. At the time of the tow the operator reports the impound to the law enforcement agency for that city, which logs it (RCW 46.55.100). That is why a call to the local police non-emergency line will tell a driver who has their car.

Within 24 hours the operator mails a notice to the registered and legal owners. The notice gives the tow company's name, address and phone, where and when the car was impounded, who authorized it, and the owner's right to redeem the car and to request a hearing (RCW 46.55.110).

AK Roadside & Towing has locations in Kirkland, Lynnwood and Seattle. Call to confirm where a specific vehicle is being held.

Getting your car back

Call (425) 616-2002 first. Give the plate number, and the address it was towed from. We confirm the car is ours, where it is, and what you need to bring. Do not drive to a yard before you call.

Washington law says who may pick up an impounded vehicle: the registered owner, the legal owner, a person the registered owner authorizes in writing, or the insurer (RCW 46.55.120). Bring photo identification and proof that you own the vehicle or are authorized to collect it. If you are picking up for someone else, bring their signed authorization.

Fees are regulated. Every registered tow operator files its rates with the Department of Licensing and may not charge more than the filed schedule, and your invoice must itemize each charge (RCW 46.55.063). Call for current release fees and yard hours.

If you believe the tow was wrong, you have the right to a hearing in district or municipal court. The written request must reach the court within 10 days of the notice (RCW 46.55.120). Paying to get the car out does not waive that right. We hand every person redeeming a vehicle the hearing request form.

Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

I own a single house. Can you tow a car out of my driveway?

Yes. A house with four or fewer units is residential property under RCW 46.55.010, and no signs are needed. You sign the authorization when the driver arrives (RCW 46.55.080) and the car goes.

Our condo has 40 units. Do we need signs?

Yes. More than four units is nonresidential under the statute. A vehicle parked under 24 hours can be impounded only if signs are posted at each entrance per RCW 46.55.070. Call us about posting the property.

Can you just patrol our lot and tow anything that looks wrong?

No. Washington law requires the property owner or agent to authorize each tow and sign for it at the time and place of the impound (RCW 46.55.080). We cannot choose the vehicle for you.

Does the property owner pay for the tow?

The towing and storage fees are charged to the vehicle owner at redemption (RCW 46.55.120). Ask us on the phone about any cost to the property.

My car was towed from an apartment lot in Lynnwood. How do I find it?

Call (425) 616-2002 and give us the plate number. If the car is not ours, the tow company's name and phone must be on the sign at the lot entrance (RCW 46.55.070), and the local police non-emergency line has a log of the impound (RCW 46.55.100).

What do I bring to get my car out?

Photo ID and proof that you are the registered owner, the legal owner, or someone the registered owner authorized in writing (RCW 46.55.120). Call first so we can tell you exactly what applies to your car.

How do I pay, and how much is it?

Rates are filed with the state and may not exceed the filed schedule (RCW 46.55.063). Call (425) 616-2002 for current release fees and the forms of payment we take.

I think the tow was illegal. What can I do?

You can request a hearing in district or municipal court within 10 days of the notice (RCW 46.55.120). If the court finds the impound improper, the fees fall on the operator and you may recover your filing fee. We give you the request form when you pick up the car.

Abandoned vehicles

A vehicle unclaimed after 120 consecutive hours in the yard is abandoned under state law (RCW 46.55.010). The operator files an abandoned vehicle report, mails a notice of custody and sale, and may auction the vehicle 15 days after that notice goes out (RCW 46.55.130). The owner can still redeem the car up to the moment the auction starts.

If a car has sat on your lot for days with flat tires and a dead plate, call us. We will talk through what the law allows for that vehicle.

Why property owners call AK Roadside & Towing

We have towed in the Kirkland area since 2017 and run trucks across 13 cities, from Seattle and Bellevue to Everett and Mukilteo. AAA authorized, fully licensed and insured.

A real dispatcher answers at 3 a.m. Every tow gets a photo of the vehicle secured and another at drop-off. Tight apartment lots are routine work for our drivers.

Call (425) 616-2002, or email info@akroadside.com.