An impound hearing can turn an inconvenient traffic ticket into a disaster.

Impounding is the very expensive, and actually rather common, result of many Kern County traffic violations. The state can impound a vehicle for thirty days, if the driver is cited for:

The owner is responsible for all impound fees, and these fees can add up very quickly: the initial fee (towing fee and impound fee) is usually about $200, and the facility may charge between $30 and $50 per day. If your vehicle is impounded, you only have ten days to request a hearing.

At that hearing, an attorney regularly practicing in Bakersfield can get your car released early if you have cured the deficiency which caused the car to be impounded; for example, if you did not have a valid license, you must do whatever is needed to obtain a valid license, and present a valid and current drivers' license along with proof of insurance at the hearing.

A vehicle may also be impounded following a conviction for a super-speeding ticket, and for some other reasons as well. The theory behind a VC Section 14602.2 impound is that the owner is flaunting the traffic laws or the authority of a California court. Judges in Lamont and Shafter may have sympathy for a motorist who makes an honest mistake, but these judges tend to take a very dim view of scofflaws.