Under seizing criteria, which circumstance allows seizing a vehicle older than 10 years without forfeiture unit approval?

• A. DUI cases
• B. All cases require approval
• C. Owner consent
• D. No exception

Answer: (A)

Seizing criteria allow immediate action when a vehicle is tied to the crime and needs to be secured quickly, without waiting for the forfeiture unit. In DUI cases, the vehicle is considered the instrumentality of the offense, so officers may seize it right away even if it’s older than ten years. This helps preserve evidence and supports timely case progression, without getting bogged down in the forfeiture unit process for every case. Other options don’t fit because not every case advances without forfeiture unit approval, owner consent would end the seizure, and claiming there are no exceptions ignores the DUI exception that exists to streamline these seizures.