Start with two phone numbers. Call (504) 658-8100 to confirm whether your car was towed, and (504) 658-8284 to check what you owe on it. Both ring the City of New Orleans Department of Public Works Parking Division, and if your car disappeared from a New Orleans street, this is usually where it went.
The Claiborne Avenue Auto Pound
The city’s primary payment-and-release lot sits at 400 N. Claiborne Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, directly under the expressway at N. Claiborne Ave and Conti St. The city’s own site lists this location as open 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., seven days a week. A separate city page describes a Cashiering Office at the same address open 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, for ticket and boot payments, a different window than vehicle release. Call ahead to confirm same-day hours before you drive over, especially outside standard business hours.
There’s a second lot for payment only at 10200 Almonaster Ave, open 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Before the city releases your car, you also have to clear any parking citations 90 or more days old, on top of the towing and storage fee itself.
What it costs now (the fees changed July 27, 2026)
Light Duty tow and impound: $228.75 minimum for the first 90 minutes, then $76.25 per additional half hour. Medium Duty: $335 minimum for the first hour, then $167.50 per half hour. Heavy Duty: $430.50 minimum for the first hour, then $215.25 per half hour. Storage: $19 a day, capped at $500 total. Boot removal: $172, plus any outstanding citations.
These figures went up the same week they were reported: the boot fee rose from $121 to $172, and the Light Duty tow rate moved from a flat $161.25 to the tiered structure above, tied explicitly to the same statewide rate schedule the Louisiana Public Service Commission sets for nonconsensual towing generally (more on that in how much a tow costs in New Orleans). Vehicles impounded before July 27, 2026 are billed under the prior rate schedule, so the number you see may depend on exactly when your car went in.
If your car was towed during Mardi Gras or a parade
New Orleans runs a genuinely large towing operation during Carnival season. Local news coverage has reported well over 200 vehicles towed during a single major parade weekend in a recent season, and more than 300 vehicles towed or booted across a full Mardi Gras season. The no-parking window around a parade route was recently expanded, at NOPD’s request, from two hours before and after a parade to four hours before it starts. Once the ban is in effect, city crews reportedly move fast, with some reporting clocking a removal in under two minutes.
If your car vanished from a parade route, the retrieval point is the same Claiborne Avenue pound described above. Bring a valid ID. If you’re not sure whether your car was towed for a parade violation or something else entirely, the (504) 658-8100 line is still the fastest way to confirm.
Boot rules under Louisiana law
If your car has a boot on it instead of being gone entirely, Louisiana law puts real limits on how that works, statewide, not just in New Orleans. State law (La. R.S. 32:1741) requires any company that boots vehicles to carry at least $1,000,000 in general liability coverage and post a $10,000 surety bond. Required signage has to be at least 18 inches by 24 inches, with lettering at least 2 inches tall, naming the company, listing a phone number, and stating the removal fee. That phone number has to be staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day. Here’s the protection most people don’t know about: no boot removal fee can be charged at all if the company doesn’t get someone to your car within 90 minutes of your call.
For an improper-parking boot specifically, the company has to have photographic proof of the violation. You can request an administrative hearing within 10 days to contest either the boot itself or the fee. For the fuller walkthrough on contesting a tow you believe was wrong, see our how to dispute a tow guide.
To get a city boot removed in New Orleans specifically, call the Boot Release line at 1-855-437-9340, or pay in person at the Administrative Hearing Center (1340 Poydras St, Suite 1100, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) or the Cashiering Office at 400 N. Claiborne Ave (8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday). The boot comes off once your outstanding parking violations are paid.
If a private company towed you, not the city
Everything above covers a city tow: a parking ticket, a meter, a parade sweep, an abandoned-vehicle report. A different set of rules applies if a private property owner, landlord, or HOA had your car towed off a lot without your consent, or if a private tow company handled an accident-scene or police-directed removal.
That situation runs under the Louisiana Towing and Storage Act (La. R.S. 32:1711 et seq.), a state law, not a city ordinance. Property owners have to post signage naming the towing company, with its address and phone number in lettering at least two inches tall, at every entrance and exit. The tow operator has to give you an itemized invoice, and every fee it charges has to match the same statewide LPSC rate schedule that regulates nonconsensual towing across Louisiana. See our private property towing guide for the complete rundown.
State law also requires the storage facility to mail you formal notice within 10 business days (5 if sent electronically) of your information reaching them, describing your car, where it’s stored, why, and what it costs, along with your right to request an administrative hearing to contest the charges. If a lienholder is involved, they can get the car released once they pay the full charges and sign a hold-harmless agreement.
If you’re in Jefferson Parish instead
Jefferson Parish runs its own process, separate from the City of New Orleans. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office handles impound matters for unincorporated Jefferson Parish out of 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, LA 70058, (504) 363-5500, with in-person hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. JPSO also takes payments online 24/7 at jpso.com/378/Payments. Don’t assume the New Orleans fee schedule above applies on the Jefferson Parish side. The statewide LPSC rate caps still apply to any nonconsensual or private-property tow there, but the parish’s own impound process runs under its own local ordinance.
If your car is abandoned, not towed
If you’re trying to report a vehicle rather than recover one, New Orleans defines a vehicle as abandoned if it’s left in violation of a parking law for an extended period, inoperable and unattended on public property for more than three days, on private property without consent for more than 24 hours, or on city property for more than three days. Reports go through 311, available 24/7 by phone or online. See our abandoned vehicle removal guide for the full process.
If this turns into a longer breakdown
If tracking down your car turns into needing a tow from wherever it ends up, or you need help getting a replacement vehicle moved, call (858) 925-5546 and we’ll quote a flat rate before we roll.
Frequently asked questions
Who do I call first if my car is missing in New Orleans?
Call the City of New Orleans Parking Division at (504) 658-8100 to confirm whether your car was towed, or (504) 658-8284 to check what you owe. If it turns out a private company towed you, look for the signage they’re required to post with their name and phone number.
What does the Claiborne Avenue pound cost now?
Effective July 27, 2026, Light Duty tow and impound runs $228.75 minimum for the first 90 minutes, then $76.25 per additional half hour, plus $19 a day storage capped at $500 total. Medium and Heavy Duty run higher. Vehicles impounded before that date use the prior rate schedule.
My car got towed during a parade. Where do I get it?
Same place: the Claiborne Avenue pound at 400 N. Claiborne Ave. Bring valid ID. Call (504) 658-8100 first if you’re not certain your car was towed for a parade violation.
Can they boot my car without warning?
Louisiana law requires clear signage naming the booting company and its fee, and for an improper-parking boot, the company needs photographic proof. You can request a hearing within 10 days to contest a boot you believe was wrong.
Is there a time limit on how fast a boot has to be removed?
Yes. If the booting company doesn’t get someone to your car within 90 minutes of your call, it can’t charge any removal fee at all.
What if I’m in Jefferson Parish, not Orleans Parish?
Jefferson Parish runs its own impound process through the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, separate from the City of New Orleans. The statewide LPSC rate caps still apply to nonconsensual tows there, but call JPSO directly at (504) 363-5500 for parish-specific details.