Police attend to a stalled vehicle on the Queensway

Impounded Vehicles Section

The Ottawa Police Service’s (OPS) Impounded Vehicles Section (IVS) is a part of the Traffic Services Unit.

Officers working in IVS oversee all vehicles that have been towed and/or impounded by the police. They are responsible for verifying that this is done according to OPS policies or provincial and federal laws. Every year, over 4,300 vehicles are impounded by our officers. The IVS is also responsible for making sure that tow truck contractors are providing services in accordance with those laws and policies and responding to any public complaints about compliance relating to the approved contracts.

Know Your Tow (click to download a pamphlet)

So how does it all work?

The OPS works with local tow truck providers who have successfully presented a bid to the City of Ottawa to win the contract. The IVS works with these companies to provide oversight of their activity as well as respond to any resident’s concerns.

The contracted tow truck companies are dispatched to the vehicle by OPS after officers have determined:

The vehicle was abandoned, is obstructing traffic, or was involved in a minor accident
The vehicle was seized relating to a crime
The vehicle falls under the Vehicle Impoundment Program (VIP)
The vehicle was seized under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act (HTA)

In the majority of cases, towing and storage fees are the responsibility of the vehicle’s owner:

EAST		WEST
TYPE	FEE	TYPE	FEE
Tow light vehicle (<4,500 kgs)	$80.03	Tow light vehicle (<4,500 kgs)	$73.91
Tow Heavy Vehicle (>4500Kg)	$10.20	Tow Heavy Vehicle (>4500Kg)	$111.13
Storage light vehicle	$25.23/day	Storage light vehicle	$15.29/day
Storage heavy vehicle	$10.20/day	Storage heavy vehicle	$15.29/day
Storage miscellaneous	$5.10/day	Storage miscellaneous	$15.29/day
Storage at a contractor's identity bay	$200	Storage at a contractor's identity bay	$200
Fee to notify the owner of the vehicle it has been impounded	$125	Fee to notify the owner of the vehicle it has been impounded	$125
Fee to weigh the vehicle for investigative purposes (e.g. fatal collision)	$100	Fee to weigh the vehicle for investigative purposes (e.g. fatal collision)	$100
Vehicle Impoundment Program fee	$195	Vehicle Impoundment Programfee	$195
Towing from outside of Ottawa	$3.25/km	Towing from outside of Ottawa	$3.25/km

*Fees (not including HST) as of January 1, 2024

Personal and private tow charges

Personal towing and personal storage fees that may result following the completion of the towing contract with OPS are not referenced on this website and are 100% the responsibility of the registered owner. The prescribed maximum fees are included in the Tow Service Operators, Tow Truck Drivers and Vehicle Storage Facility Operators – Schedule No. 35 under By-Law 2021-315.

Tow Truck Company locations

The Ottawa Police Service currently has two providers under contract for towing services.

West of Bank Street – SMC Towing Group
East of Bank Street – Ottawa Metro Towing

Has your vehicle been towed?

If you cannot locate your vehicle where you last parked it, it may not necessarily have been stolen. Check streets and parking lots near where you last left it to see if it was moved a short distance away due to things like City street cleaning or snow removal.

The OPS is not responsible for vehicles impounded as a result of parking enforcement. If your vehicle was unattended and parked on the roadway or on property managed by the City, please dial 311, or call 613-580-2400 to obtain more information. If your vehicle was parked on private property (mall parking lot, for example), please contact the business owner to determine where your vehicle was taken.

If, after calling both the City and the private company, you are still not able to locate your vehicle, you will need to call us at 613-236-1222, extension 7300 to file a stolen vehicle report as these types of reports cannot be filed online.

How do I get my vehicle?

If the vehicle was held by OPS, the owner of the vehicle will need to obtain a vehicle release form by visiting us in person at one of our police stations:

West: 211 Huntmar Drive
Central: 474 Elgin Street
East: 3343 St-Joseph Boulevard

Review our current hours of operation for our Front Desk Services.

Contact Us

IVS is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed on statutory holidays and weekends. If you believe that your vehicle was towed by the Ottawa Police Service, you can contact us at 613-236-1222, extension 2350 or by email at impoundedvehicles@ottawapolice.ca.