How to get your car out of impound in French Quarter
If your car got towed in French Quarter, here's how to get it back fast, including where it likely went and what you'll owe.
What Louisiana law says
New Orleans runs its own city pound instead of relying on a scattered network of private storage lots. The Department of Public Works Parking Division operates two facilities: the Claiborne Avenue Auto Pound at 400 N. Claiborne Ave, directly beneath the expressway at Claiborne and Conti St, and a payment-only lot at 10200 Almonaster Ave. Claiborne handles both payment and vehicle release and is open 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. The Almonaster lot only takes payments and runs 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, so if you drive out there expecting to pick up your car, you'll be turned around. Call (504) 658-8100 to confirm your car was towed, or (504) 658-8284 to check the fee balance tied to your plate. As of July 27, 2026, tow and storage fees run on a new schedule: a Light Duty tow starts at $228.75 for the first 90 minutes, then $76.25 per additional half-hour, and storage adds $19 a day, capped at $500 total. Any parking citations 90 or more days old have to be paid off too before the car's released. Quick Tow New Orleans is a private tow company, not the city pound. We can't waive fees the city sets, but we can help with transport once your car's released.
How it works in French Quarter
- 1 Find out where your car went
Call (504) 658-8100 to confirm your car was towed to the Claiborne Avenue Auto Pound. Outside Orleans Parish, call the local parish sheriff's office instead.
- 2 Go to the right lot
The Almonaster Ave lot only takes payments. Your car itself is released at the Claiborne Avenue Auto Pound, 400 N. Claiborne Ave.
- 3 Check the hours before you drive over
Claiborne's vehicle-release window runs 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The Cashiering Office at the same address, for tickets and boots only, runs 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, so confirm which one you need by phone first.
- 4 Confirm your balance
Call (504) 658-8284 to check the fee tied to your plate, and clear any parking citations 90 or more days old, since those have to be paid before release too.
- 5 Pay the pound directly
Quick Tow New Orleans doesn't set or collect the city's impound fees. You pay the pound, not us.
- 6 Retrieve your vehicle
Bring valid ID and be ready to pay the full balance. Most releases happen the same day once you're there during release hours.
What this looks like around French Quarter
A tow from {c} almost always lands at the city's own Claiborne Avenue Auto Pound, open 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. If your car disappeared during a Mardi Gras parade's no-parking window, it's the same lot, so call (504) 658-8100 first and bring valid ID before you drive over.
French Quarter calls run day and night on some of the narrowest streets in the metro, and flatbed is our default here since a standard tow truck can't always work Bourbon St, Royal St, or Decatur St without blocking the whole block. Tourist rental cars parked illegally on residential blocks outside the Quarter's own lots are a constant call type, and French Quarter Fest, Jazz Fest, and any Carnival weekend spill parking for blocks past what the neighborhood can absorb. The city's own posted rules run tow and boot fines from $30 to $500 depending on the violation, and enforcement here is genuinely aggressive, tow trucks work these streets even overnight, not just during business hours. Our other steady call type is the 2 a.m. bar-close recovery, a car left on Bourbon or a side street after last call that needs to move before morning enforcement starts. We reach Jackson Square, the French Market, and the Canal St seam with the CBD in about 15 to 25 minutes, the shortest response window anywhere on our map.
Common French Quarter questions
How do I find out where my car was towed in French Quarter?
Call the Claiborne Avenue Auto Pound at (504) 658-8100 to confirm the tow. Payment can also be handled at the Almonaster Ave lot, but your car is released at Claiborne.
What are the current impound fees in French Quarter?
As of July 27, 2026, a Light Duty tow starts at $228.75 for the first 90 minutes, plus $76.25 per additional half-hour, and storage runs $19 a day, capped at $500 total.
What hours can I pick up my car in French Quarter?
The Claiborne Avenue Auto Pound releases vehicles 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The Cashiering Office at the same address handles tickets and boots only, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays.
Can Quick Tow New Orleans release my car from impound in French Quarter?
No, we're a private tow company, not the city pound. We can't waive fees, but we can help with transport once your car is released.
Related help for French Quarter
Impound release process in the rest of the Orleans Core area
Need your car towed once it's released in French Quarter?
We can't waive the yard's fees. We can tow it home the moment it clears.