What To Do If Your Car Gets Booted- A Step by Step Guide

Having your car booted can be an inconvenient and stressful experience, especially when you least expect it. As car boots can be attached to a vehicle for a variety of reasons, having one attached will immobilize your car and will prevent you from going wherever you need to go. While car boots can be a rare occurrence depending on where you live, they can still happen to anyone and, as a result, it is important to inform yourself about how to get a car boot off your car, should it ever happen to you.   

What Is a Car Boot?

A car boot is a metal device designed to immobilize a vehicle by clamping onto one of its wheels. By clamping onto a wheel, it not only prevents the car from going anywhere, but any attempts to drive with it on can cause significant damage to the car. They are usually installed by either a law enforcement officer or a parking enforcement officer and the only way to release the lock is to either have a key or to input a code. However, the only way to get either is to pay the associated fines and have an officer take it off or you would input the code yourself and drop off the boot at an approved location. 

What Is the Point of a Car Boot?

The main purpose of a car boot is to enforce parking regulations and compliance by showcasing the immediate and costly consequence for any parking violation. It also serves as a means to ensure that any late or overdue traffic fines are properly paid. By immobilizing vehicles that owe parking and traffic fines, the authorities will be able to forcefully fulfill these financial obligations and use those affected as an example to deter any future similar violations from occurring in the future.  

What Happens if You Remove a Boot Yourself?

Attempting to remove a boot yourself without proper authorization is illegal and it can lead to serious legal consequences and additional fines. As tampering and damaging government property is considered to be vandalism, California Penal Code 594 states that any acts of malicious tampering or vandalism without consent is punishable by a fine based on the amount of damage done and time in county jail. 

Furthermore, by trying to remove a car boot yourself, you can potentially inflict damage onto your car’s wheel, body, or structure and possibly injure yourself in the process. In doing so, you will not only be responsible for paying for the attempted removal of a car boot, but you will also have to pay any additional repair and hospital fees that you need. So it is vital that you follow the proper steps in order to safely and securely remove a car boot from your vehicle. 

How to Remove a Boot From Your Car

Depending on the reason that your car was booted, some of the required steps may vary on a case-by-case basis. However, if you want to remove a boot from your car, you would need to start off by reading the notice of why your car was booted in the first place. Once you understand the reasons, you would need to pay the associated fines or settle any unpaid fees that you have accumulated, and this can be typically done by calling a number to pay the fee. 

After your payment has been approved you would be given two options, self-release or assisted release. Self-release would require you to get a code and you would have to release the car boot yourself. Once you have released it, you would need to drop off the car boot at an approved location and any failure to do so, will result in another fine or a replacement fee. 

On the other hand, assisted release would require you to wait for a traffic officer to come by to release the boot for you. It is important to note that they operate on certain hours and depending on their workload and what time you call, they might not be able to release the boot for you until the following day. Whichever option you decide on how to remove your car boot, it is important that you appropriately follow the steps in order to get the best timely service without accumulating additional fees.

What Should I Do if My Car Gets Booted?

If your car gets booted, it is important that you stay calm and assess the situation before you do anything that might earn you any additional fines or fees. As getting your car booted is never an enjoyable experience, it is important that you carefully read the attached notice and pay all of the associated fines in order to get the boot off as quickly as possible.

By understanding the process and knowing what steps to take, you can resolve the issue quickly and efficiently. However, to prevent getting your car booted in the first place, it is important that you watch where you park and pay off any traffic fees you may have accumulated in a timely manner.

However, if you believe that you were subjected to unlawful treatment by local law enforcement or by a third party, you may be eligible to seek compensation regarding the matter. Contact us today by calling (213) 927-3700 or filling our contact form to schedule a FREE consultation with our compassionate and talented legal team.