(a) (1) Whenever a person is convicted of any of the following offenses committed while driving a motor vehicle of which he or she is the owner, the court, at the time sentence is imposed on the person, may order the motor vehicle impounded for a period of not more than six months for a first conviction, and not more than 12 months for a second or subsequent conviction:
(A) Driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license.
(B) A violation of Section 2800.2 resulting in an accident or Section 2800.3, if either violation occurred within seven years of one or more separate convictions for a violation of any of the following:
(i) Section 23103, if the vehicle involved in the violation was driven at a speed of 100 or more miles per hour.
(ii) Section 23152.
(iii) Section 23153.
(iv) Subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 191.5 of the Penal Code.
(v) Subdivision (c) of Section 192 of the Penal Code.
(vi) Subdivision (a) of Section 192.5 of the Penal Code.
(2) The cost of keeping the vehicle is a lien on the vehicle pursuant to Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 3067) of Title 14 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a motor vehicle impounded pursuant to this section that is subject to a chattel mortgage, conditional sale contract, or lease contract shall be released by the court to the legal owner upon the filing of an affidavit by the legal owner that the chattel mortgage, conditional sale contract, or lease contract is in default and shall be delivered to the legal owner upon payment of the accrued cost of keeping the vehicle.
(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 747, Sec. 35. Effective January 1, 2008.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018