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Where the daily storage charges come from
Daily storage charges for impounded vehicles are not set by individual police pounds or recovery operators. They are prescribed in legislation and explained in a Home Office circular that sets out the official removal, storage and disposal charges under road traffic law. These statutory figures apply where a vehicle has been seized and stored under the relevant powers in England and Wales.
Daily storage charges for standard cars
For a normal private car, in the weight band up to and including 3.5 tonnes maximum authorised mass, the statutory daily storage charge is set at twenty six pounds for each period of twenty four hours or any part of that period while the vehicle remains in custody. This replaces the older twenty pound daily rate that was in force before the most recent update.
The charge is applied per chargeable period, not per calendar day in the everyday sense. Once the first twenty four hour period has started, any time that spills over into the next period counts as another full day for charging purposes.
Storage rates for heavier and commercial vehicles
The same legislation sets higher storage charges for heavier vehicles. The daily amounts, again per period of twenty four hours or part thereof, are:
- Two wheeled vehicles such as motorbikes: thirteen pounds per day.
- Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes but not more than 7.5 tonnes: thirty two pounds per day.
- Vehicles over 7.5 tonnes but not more than 18 tonnes: thirty eight pounds per day.
- Vehicles over 18 tonnes: forty five pounds per day.
These bands are based on maximum authorised mass rather than how the vehicle looks, so a heavy van or small lorry that tips over the 3.5 tonne threshold moves straight into a higher storage rate.
How “each period of 24 hours or part thereof” works
The regulations use a strict time basis. Storage is charged for each complete twenty four hour period, and for any part of a further period. That means a vehicle booked into a pound late in the evening will still incur a full day’s storage once the first period has elapsed, even if it is collected soon after the next period begins.
Pounds usually follow a fixed operational timetable tied to their own systems and contracts, so the exact cut off time for each period can vary slightly in practice. However, they are working within the statutory rule that part periods are chargeable.
What this means in real bills
For most private cars, the daily storage element alone is twenty six pounds per chargeable period. On top of that sit the removal charge and any disposal or administrative fees if they apply. For light and heavy commercial vehicles the storage component is higher, reflecting the additional space and handling requirements as the vehicle weight moves through the prescribed bands.
Because storage starts as soon as the vehicle enters the compound and because part periods are billable, the total storage cost can increase quickly when a vehicle is left for several days. The only way to limit that element of the bill is to resolve documents, insurance and identification promptly so that collection can happen within the shortest possible number of chargeable periods.
Bringing the key points together
The daily storage charge for impounded vehicles is a statutory figure, not something set casually by individual pounds. Standard cars fall into the twenty six pound per day band, while heavier commercial vehicles are charged at thirty two, thirty eight or forty five pounds per day depending on weight, with motorbikes at thirteen pounds. All amounts are applied for each period of twenty four hours or part thereof, so understanding when the clock started and which weight band a vehicle sits in is crucial when estimating the final storage cost.
Impound processes, time limits and costs vary widely across the UK, and authorities can amend their rules at any time. Information on this site is intended as a general overview and should not be relied on as definitive for any specific impound location.