Policy Text
KISSIMMEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDER
General Order 409 – Towing of Motor Vehicles
Page 1 of 4 TITLE: TOWING OF MOTOR VEHICLES 409
EFFECTIVE: 07/01/2015 REVISED: 12/02/2025 SCOPE : ALL EMPLOYEES
REVIEW AUTHORITY: SPECIAL SERVICES DIVISION CAPTAIN
CFA STANDARDS: 18.13M (A-K)
409.01 Authorized Vehicle Impound 409.06 Vehicle Inventory
409.02 Abandoned Vehicles 409.07 Search and Seizure
409.03 Impounding Vehicles 409.08 Release of Impounded Vehicles
409.04 Waiver of Impound 409.09 Releasing a Hold on a Vehicle
409.05 Procedures for Impound
Policy: This General Order is designed to protect the owner’s property, protect officers against
claims of lost / stolen items, protect officers from dangerously concealed items, and protect the
public against hazardous roadway obstructions. When authorized to remove v ehicles, officers shall
remove such vehicles to a place of safety in order to confirm the security of the vehicle, and the
safe and efficient flow of traffic. Vehicles shall be impounded, stored, and/or disposed of by the
Kissimmee Police Department in acc ordance with the laws of the State of Florida, and current
ordinances of the City of Kissimmee.
409.01 Authorized Vehicle Impound: The towing or impounding of vehicles is permitted in the
following circumstances:
a. When the operator of the vehicle is phys ically arrested and removed from control of the
vehicle, the arrestee cannot provide a licensed driver to pick the vehicle up in a reasonable
amount of time, and/or the arrestee does not wish the leave the car parked in a public
parking area;
b. The vehicle is in an unsafe location or is illegally parked on a public street or right -of-way,
causing a traffic hazard for other motorists, and the driver is not present to remove the
vehicle;
c. When the vehicle is stolen and the owner cannot (or shall not) respond w ithin a reasonable
time to claim the vehicle or impoundment is necessary for evidence processing;
d. When the vehicle is evidence of a crime; and/or
e. When the vehicle is seized pursuant to General Order 607 – Forfeitures and Seizures and
Florida Statute § 932.703 .
KISSIMMEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDER
General Order 409 – Towing of Motor Vehicles
Page 2 of 4
409.02 Abandoned Vehicles: When officers locate abandoned vehicles on public property and
the vehicle is towed, an incident report shall be completed and the vehicle entered in to FCIC/NCIC
as towed. [CFA 18.13M – K] An “abandoned” vehicle is defined by Florida Statute as a vehicle
which does not have an identifiable owner; has been disposed of on public property in a wrecked,
inoperative, or partially dismantled condition; and/or has no apparent, intrinsic value to the rightful
owner.
409.03 Impounding Vehicles: With the exception of a disabled vehicle where the operator is
present, the impounding officer shall confirm that the reasons for impound are clearly documented
in an incident report. If the vehicle is impounded as abandoned as defined above, the impounding
officer shall confirm accurate measurements, location descriptions, and photographs are obtained
when such measurements, descriptions, or photographs would aid in providing the violation and
subsequent reasons for impound.
The officer impounding the vehicle shall conduct a thorough search of the impounded vehicle and
all items in the veh icle shall be inventoried using the Kissimmee Police Department Vehicle
Inventory Form. This vehicle inventory shall have the same case number and accompany the
incident report. The form shall include the following information , at a minimum, regarding the
tow:
a. Time; [CFA 18.13M – A]
b. Date; [CFA 18.13M – B]
c. Location the vehicle was towed from ; [CFA 18.13M – C]
d. Requesting member ; [CFA 18.13M – D]
e. Reason for removal or tow; [CFA 18.13M – E]
f. Towing service name ; [CFA 18.13M – F]
g. Location the vehicle was towed to; [CFA 18.13M – G]
h. Notification (or attempts ) to the registered owner; [CFA 18.13M – H]
i. Inventory of contents , which shall be included in the notes on the form; an d [CFA 18.13M
– I]
j. An indication whether or not there is a hold on the vehicle. [CFA 18.13M – J]
409.04 Waiver of Impound: When the operator of a vehicle has been arrested and removed from
control of the vehicle, a police officer shall waive impounding the vehicle if all of the following
conditions exist:
KISSIMMEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDER
General Order 409 – Towing of Motor Vehicles
Page 3 of 4 a. The vehicle may be removed by a licensed and unimpaired individual who is on the scene
and is authorized by the operator OR the vehicle is in a public parking area and the legal
owner wishes the vehicle to remain in