What Happens to a Car Following a Maryland DUI Arrest

What happens to a car following a Maryland DUI depends on a variety of factors. Most cars are towed, but a few are left at the side of the road. Occasionally an officer will pull their car safely into a driveway or a parking space so that it does not get towed. If you want to know more about what happens to a car following a DUI arrest, or need help retrieving your car, a skilled DUI lawyer can help. Contact an attorney today, that can try to fight for a positive outcome for you.

Retrieving the Car From the Tow Lot

The authorities do not want the person charged with a DUI to drive for 12 hours, so they should not show up at the tow lot two hours later and demand their car. A person should bring a set of keys in the event the keys were locked in the car. If this were to happen and the person did not bring the second set of keys, they would have to pay somebody to open their vehicle. They should also have their driver’s license and paperwork of the tow if they have it.

Will a Person’s Car Get Searched?

Many may wonder what happens to a car following a Maryland DUI. If a person is going to be towed back to the officer’s precinct or the trooper’s barrack location, they will do an inventory of the vehicle to make sure that the things that are inside the vehicle stay inside the vehicle. Normally the authorities will not search a person’s vehicle regarding a DUI. They can, but normally they do not. In the event they do a search, and drugs or paraphernalia is found, those charges would be added to the DUI.

If illegal substances are found in a person’s car while it is being searched, they will be charged with another offense as well. There will be criminal charges assessed in addition to the DUI charge if that was related to the CDS (Controlled Dangerous Substance). Certain factors, like what the substance was, how it was kept, and the amount, can impact a person’s case and escalate existing charges. If it was there for them to see in plain sight (because they have the ability to do that initial search or inventory of the vehicle), a person runs the risk of not only being charged under Sections A and B but also C and D, it brings more ability to charge them with more criminal acts.

Role of a Maryland DUI Lawyer

You may not be sure what happens to a car following a Maryland DUI, which is why it can be important to consult a knowledgeable DUI lawyer. After your car has been impounded, your attorney’s goal is to you your car back. A skilled DUI attorney can talk to the right people, steer you in the right direction, find out how much money you need to come up with, and what they accept for payment (cash; check or money order; credit or debit).

As far as the DUI and the vehicle itself, if the vehicle is left at the side of the road, a location where the person was stopped, you should know where it is because they would give you paperwork. However, if you do not know where your vehicle is and there is no paperwork, a lawyer can call the precinct to obtain the location where you were stopped, give a description of the vehicle, and obtain the location. A call to the local precinct will reveal who towed the vehicle and there are just a handful of places it would be taken to.