Under new proposal, Denver may donate impounded cars to trade schools instead of selling them

Each year, thousands of vehicles impounded by the city of Denver are either auctioned or scrapped. But a new city ordinance proposes a different route for some of those cars: straight into classrooms.

Under the current ordinance, unclaimed impounded vehicles may be disposed of by auction or sealed bid.
The proposed amendment would add donations to eligible nonprofit organizations and nonprofit educational institutions within the City and County of Denver to obtain vehicles. 

If approved, the ordinance would permit the disposal of unclaimed roadworthy impounded vehicles through auction, sealed bid, scrap metal conversion, law enforcement use, or donation.

The proposal, which goes before City Council for a first reading on Monday, would allow the city to donate certain roadworthy vehicles valued at $1,500 or less to local trade schools. Eligible schools include Emily Griffith Technical College, which trains hundreds of automotive repair students each year.

“That is pretty vital for our program,” said Jeremy Barrera, an instructor at Emily Griffith. “We get cars that haven’t been disassembled, so we’ll have a fresh car for the students.”

Currently, Emily Griffith has only eight or nine usable cars, according to Dean Gideon Geisel, despite serving 10 student cohorts and roughly 150 students annually.

“You might have a vehicle now that you need to get rid of tomorrow,” Geisel said. “Unfortunately, we’ve also had some stolen from the property — and then you can no longer teach on them.”

While auctioning vehicles generates revenue, city officials say high processing costs undercut the net return. The average impound-related cost per vehicle is about $1,020.

Proponents argue that reinvesting these cars in workforce programs could deliver greater long-term value.

If passed, the ordinance would allow trade schools to receive five to 10 donated vehicles per year.

The city says the program would support several strategic priorities, including expanding hands-on training for students in automotive trades, reducing auction storage and processing time, and advancing goals related to equity, sustainability, and workforce readiness.

“If you get a car that stays in the program for two or three classes, it’s no longer fresh,” Barrera said. “Having new vehicles come in is really big.”