Section 22651 of the California Vehicle Code authorizes the removal of a vehicle by peace officers so long as the vehicle is within the jurisdiction of the agency which employs the peace officer under a variety of circumstances involving the illegal parking of the vehicle or when the vehicle's owner has been arrested and is not authorized to continue to operate the motor vehicle. In addition, the statute authorizes the imposition of a fee to offset the administrative charges associated with the activities necessary for the release to the registered owner of a vehicle that has been towed and/or stored after the driver has been arrested for a violation of driving without a license or driving while their privileges to operate a motor vehicle have been suspended or revoked. Based upon a study prepared by the Stanislaus County sheriff's department, the actual cost associated with the administrative activities associated with the release of such a vehicle is approximately one hundred fifty-eight dollars and eighty-four cents.
(Ord. CS 987 §1, 2007)