Ward Service Office
1447 W. Morse Ave
Chicago, IL 60626
Parking
There are a number of regulations on parking in the City of Chicago. The following provides information on many of the requirements imposed on drivers in the city.
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Use the buttons below to learn more about parking in the City of Chicago. As always, feel free to contact us if you have further questions.
CITY STICKER
A valid city sticker is required for all City residents who own a vehicle. New residents and those who recently purchased a vehicle have 30 days to come into compliance. City stickers are sold through the Chicago City Clerk’s office. You can purchase your sticker at the following locations:
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City Clerk office – 121 N. LaSalle, Room 107
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City Clerk satellite office – 5430 W. Gale
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At most currency exchanges (service fee may apply)
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You must show proof of address and vehicle registration when purchasing a sticker in person.
COST
The cost of City Stickers depends on the type of vehicle. The City Clerk’s Office collects VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) information from motorists and vehicle registration databases. This enables them to identify the vehicle type category to which a vehicle will be assigned. From there, prices are determined based on the vehicle’s make and model, weight and body type.
The total price for your annual vehicle sticker can only be determined using your vehicle documentation, which establishes your VIN, as well as your vehicle purchase and/or move-in dates, and your license plate expiration date.
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The descriptions above are only a general overview of the Office of the City Clerk’s pricing schedule. Vehicle sticker price cannot be determined without taking into consideration vehicle documentation, vehicle purchase and/or move-in dates, and license plate expiration date.
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If you are age 65 or older, you may be eligible to receive a senior citizen discount on your sticker.
CHANGES TO GRACE PERIOD
As of July 2016, changes to the Chicago Municipal Code regarding the grace period make motorists eligible to be ticketed immediately following their vehicle sticker’s expiration.
For example, if your City Sticker expires on June 30, you are eligible to be ticketed on July 1. Tickets for expired City Stickers are $200 and can be issued daily.
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In addition, the grace period for late fees for expired City Sticker tickets will be extended from 15 to 30 days as of July 1, 2016. This means a motorist with a City Sticker that expires on June 30 will now have until July 30 to purchase a new sticker without paying an additional $60 late fee.
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Please be aware of these changes to the City Sticker grace periods to avoid tickets and additional fees. Make sure to purchase and display City Stickers in a timely manner.
LATE FEES
Per City ordinance, a $60.00 late fee — $30.00 for seniors — must be applied to a Chicago City Vehicle Sticker if ANY of the following apply:
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The renewal vehicle sticker was purchased after the grace period for the old vehicle sticker has ended. For example, a customer with an expiration month of March 2020 has until March 30, 2020, to purchase a renewal vehicle sticker without additional fees or penalties. If that customer attempted to renew the same vehicle sticker on March 31, they would be subject to a $60.00 late fee, OR;
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A customer failed to purchase a vehicle sticker within any of the following circumstances that a late fee does not apply listed below.
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The late fee does not apply for Chicago City Vehicle Stickers purchased in-person at a City Clerk office location by a customer who – at the time of purchase – can demonstrate:
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They are a new resident with documentation indicating purchase of property or a rental agreement executed within the last 30 days for a location within Chicago, OR;
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They are a new vehicle owner with proof of purchase within the last 30 days, OR;
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They returned from serving in the United States Armed Forces and were stationed outside the City, within the last 30 days, OR;
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They provide a check registry or credit card statement showing that the license was sought in the purchase period, OR;
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At the direction of the City Clerk for reasonable cause.
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Under all other circumstances, the customer will be required to pay a late fee and the annual price for their vehicle sticker.
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RESIDENTIAL ZONE PARKING & PARKING GARAGES
The 49th Ward has a number of areas that are designated as residential zone parking. These areas allow a person living in the zone or directly adjacent to purchase a City Sticker displaying the residential zone from the City Clerk's office. These City Stickers cost an additional $25 per year on top of the base fee. Please note that purchasing a residential zone City Sticker does not guarantee parking in the Residential Zone, especially in dense parts of the city. Residents living in and adjacent to the residential zones may also purchase daily passes for their guests. Daily passes may either be purchased at the City Clerk's office (121 N. LaSalle or 5430 W. Gale) or online using the EZ Buy option. Please note that the 49th Ward office does not sell residential daily passes.
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The 49th Ward has a variety of off-street parking options to address the challenges of parking in a dense and congested neighborhood. Below is a map of all the zone parking areas in the 49th Ward as well as the parking garages and their occupancy rates.
DISABLED PARKING
Disabled Parking placards are issued by the Secretary of State’s office. The application is available to download online.
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If you are interested in having disabled parking signs installed in front of your home, you will need to complete an application. These forms are available to pick up in the office or, if you send our office an email, we will mail an application to you.
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Disabled individuals who apply for signs must meet the conditions to qualify for a restricted parking space. The conditions include the following:
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The applicant must reside on a residential street that is zoned R-1 through R-5.
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The applicant must have either a current disabled Illinois license plate or a disabled placard issued by the Secretary of State when parking in the designated space.
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Sign installation and maintenance costs must be paid by the applicant. The cost for disabled parking signs is $70.00 for the first year. In subsequent years, the annual maintenance fee is $25.00. This annual fee may be waived if the applicant meets the disabled veteran or Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief requirement.
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The applicant must observe and obey any other parking restrictions which may apply at the approved location (i.e. Street Cleaning signs, Rush Hour Parking restrictions, etc)
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Completed applications and the $70.00 installation fee can be mailed to the Department of Finance at:
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P.O. Box 803100
Chicago, IL 60680-3100
ATTN: Disabled Permit Section
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The applications are processed by the Department of Finance. You will receive a written reply from the Department of Revenue notifying you of receipt as well as the decision after the site has been surveyed. If your application is approved, signs will be installed. Should your application be denied, you will be offered the opportunity to appeal the decision to the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities.
RESIDENTIAL MOVES
We have complimentary “No Parking” signs available for residential moves at the ward office. These are not, however, enforceable by ticket or towing. We ask that you hang the signs 48-hours prior to your move to give your neighbors adequate time to find alternative parking.
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Otherwise, if you want enforceable “No Parking” signs, you can go through the Department of Transportation’s Permits Department. The cost for the enforceable permit is $25. You can apply for the permit on CDOT's permitting platform. Instructions on how to apply are available here.
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STREET SWEEPING
Street Cleaning starts April 1st and runs through mid-November. During street cleaning days, vehicles cannot park on a specific side of the street in order to accommodate the street sweeper. Please watch for signs on your block so that you know when your street will be swept and park your car accordingly.
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You can view the street sweeping schedule and sign up for text or email alerts by visiting http://sweeparound.us.
WINTER PARKING
In order to ensure that the most critical roadways in Chicago are kept clear at all times, the City of Chicago institutes a Winter Overnight Parking Ban on 107 miles of vital arterial streets from 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. between December 1st and April 1st. This ban is in effect regardless of snowfall.
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Red = Winter overnight parking restrictions
Orange = Two-inch snow route restriction
Motorists who ignore the tow zones face a $150 towing fee (minimum) in addition to a $60 ticket and an initial $25 daily storage fee. If you suspect that your vehicle was towed, you can search for it on the website of the Department of Streets & Sanitation by clicking here.
In our ward, the only street which has an overnight parking ban is N. Clark St. from W. Devon Ave. to W. Howard St. Clark Street south of Devon Avenue has a 2-inch snow parking ban.
Streets in our ward which have the 2-inch snow parking ban are as follows:
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W. Devon Ave. from N. Broadway to N. Ridge (Devon ban extends beyond the boundary of the Ward)
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W. Pratt Blvd. from N. Ashland Blvd. to N. Sheridan Rd.
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W. Howard St, from N. Ridge Blvd. to N. Greenview Ave.
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W. Touhy Ave. from N. Ridge Blvd. to N. Oakley Ave. (Touhy ban extends further beyond boundaries of the Ward)
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N. Sheridan Rd. from W. Devon Ave. to W. Juneway Ter. (Sheridan ban extends further beyond the boundary of the Ward)
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N. Ridge Blvd. from W. Devon Ave. to W. Howard St.
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N. Ashland Ave. from W. Devon Ave. to N. Rogers Ave.
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N. Rogers Ave. from N. Ridge Blvd. to N. Sheridan Rd.
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N. Western Ave from W. Birchwood Ave. to W. Howard St. (Western ban extends further beyond boundary of the Ward)
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For an updated and interactive map of all snow routes in the City, please access the City’s snow plow tracker by clicking here. This same map will also show the locations of all snow plows once deployed.
As a general reminder, plows will focus first on vital arterial routes before plowing residential streets
DRIVEWAY SIGN REQUESTS
Residents with driveways may request signs to mark the entrances to the driveway to help prevent people from blocking it. There is for an initial installation fee is $110 per sign ($220 for two signs) and annual maintenance fee of $110.
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CDOT has phased out the paper application for the driveway signs and moved it to their permitting portal. Applicants will now be required to create a profile and apply for driveway signs by clicking the link below.
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RESIDENTIAL TRUCK PARKING PERMITS
In 2016, the Office of the City Clerk updated the Municipal Code in an effort to update an outdated section. This section adversely affected small, non-commercial pick-up trucks and their ability to park on business and residential streets in the city.
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As of May 18, 2016, an ordinance went into effect that allows city residents to park their non-commercial pick-up trucks under 8,000 pounds on residential and commercial streets without having to display a residential truck sticker. This ordinance also allows non-city residents to park their pick-up trucks on business streets only. Non-commercial pick-up trucks registered in the City of Chicago are still required to purchase and display a valid City Sticker.
CONTRACTOR PARKING PLACARD
Section 9-64-170(a)(3) and (b)(3) of the Municipal Code of Chicago allows a contractor who is actually engaged in delivery, service or repair work at a particular address for a particular customer to park their vehicle within a reasonable distance of the address where such work is being performed if:
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* The vehicle is emblazoned with the business name and business license number of its owner; and
* The customer’s address is clearly displayed on the vehicle’s dashboard; and
* The vehicle is lawfully parked in accordance with the general parking requirements of this Code.
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Parking is permitted only while such work is actually being performed and at no other time. If a service vehicle permit is required under Section 9-68-060, such a permit must be obtained.
PARKING METERS
The ParkChicago app is available for download in your smartphone’s app store. This allows motorists to pay for any metered spot in the City of Chicago. ParkChicago allows you to pay to park using your smartphone without having to visit a meter box, display a dashboard receipt, or hurry back to feed the meter when your time is about to expire.
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Many of the 49th Ward’s commercial streets have metered parking. Always make sure to double check the machine you are using for specific rate and hour information. To find meter locations and pricing, visit chicagometers.com.
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