Vehicle immobilisation or seizure for an arrest warrant
How police or LTA may immobilise or seize a vehicle registered to a person with an arrest warrant, the notice and release conditions, and the charges and disposal process.
Primary source: https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/RTA1961?ProvIds=pr95A-
When this power applies
Road Traffic Act section 95A applies when a vehicle is registered in the name of a person with a warrant of arrest for an offence under the Road Traffic Act or its rules, or the Parking Places Act 1974 or its rules. On a road or in a parking place, a police officer or an LTA employee may immobilise a stationary vehicle or seize and detain it at a place of safety. Police officers may also use these powers for such a vehicle being used or parked in a public place (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 95A(1), (2) and (13)).
When a police officer attempting to execute the arrest warrant at private premises finds a vehicle registered to the person named in the warrant, the officer may immobilise or seize it there only if, despite all reasonable effort, the officer cannot arrest that person at the premises. The vehicle remains at the owner’s risk until a Magistrate, the Deputy Commissioner of Police or the Registrar orders its release (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 95A(3)–(4)).
For this section, “immobilise” means preventing a vehicle’s removal by attaching a device or appliance approved for this purpose by the Authority or the Deputy Commissioner of Police. An officer may require the driver or person in charge to stop, take the vehicle to a specified place of safety, or provide other reasonable cooperation (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 95A(5)(a) and (13)).
Notice, release and charges
The Magistrate, Deputy Commissioner or Registrar may refuse to release the vehicle until the person named in the warrant is arrested in connection with it, surrenders to a police officer, or the court cancels the warrant. The decision-maker may also require prescribed release charges to be paid. The officer or LTA employee must notify the registered person, with all reasonable despatch, of how to secure release and that the vehicle may be sold or otherwise disposed of if the person does not surrender within 3 months of the date specified in the notice. A notice may be affixed to the vehicle when immobilised; for a seized vehicle it may be served in a manner allowed by section 131A (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 95A(5)(b)–(7); Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 131A).
For a vehicle immobilised under section 95A(1), the current LTA rules require a $200 charge to be paid to the Registrar before release. The Registrar may waive all or part of charges payable under those rules. For a vehicle seized and detained under section 95A(1), (2) or (3), the release charges are the applicable removal and storage charges in the rules’ Schedule (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic (Vehicle Removal, Storage and Release Charges — Land Transport Authority) Rules 2010, rr. 2(3), 3(1) and 4).
If, when the 3-month period expires, the registered person has neither surrendered nor been arrested in connection with the warrant, the Deputy Commissioner or the Authority may sell or otherwise dispose of the vehicle after giving one month’s notice in the Gazette. Sale proceeds first pay taxes, fees or charges due from the registered person under the Act or rules, and the charges incurred under section 95A. Any surplus goes to that person; a surplus unclaimed for 12 months after sale or disposal is forfeited to the Government (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 95A(9)–(10)).
Removing or tampering with the notice or immobilisation device without authority, removing the vehicle without an authorised order, or obstructing or hindering an officer performing duties under section 95A is an offence. Where no special penalty is provided, the Act’s general maximum is a fine of $1,000 or imprisonment for up to 3 months, or both, for a first offence; for a second or subsequent offence it is a fine of $2,000 or imprisonment for up to 6 months, or both (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 95A(8) and (11); Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 131(2)).
Coverage debt
- Section 95A and the LTA rules state the notice contents and statutory charges, but do not give an online or in-person contact channel for a particular vehicle. Follow the release procedure stated in the notice rather than inferring a separate application route (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 95A(6)–(7)).