Chicago City Sticker & Parking Permit (Worth: lease, vehicle registration, buying)

[deadwrong03]

Im moving this weekend to a new place that has permit parking in Chicago. My car isnt registered to chicago, and ive never had a permit to park before.

what are my options here .....i know i have 30 days to get the city sticker in my window i figure im going to have to change my registration and get that but what about the permit will i have to have the city sticker to get the permit?

is there some kinda of 30 day pass to i can get for the permit parking or do i need to just get the sticker and permit now? also where can i get the permit for the permit parking on the street? can i go to a currency exchange and get both?

[Drover]

You will need the city sticker to get the permit -- they're rolled into a single sticker. My advice is find a non-permitted street nearby to park on until you can get your city sticker/permit, or see if you can get a couple of one-day permits from some of your new neighbors to tide you over until you can get your city sticker.

You may be able to get your city sticker/permit at a currency exchange and get one right away with a copy of your signed lease. They may need a copy of a utility bill too; not sure about that one.

[aragx6]

I would think it's possible that if you explain this to your alderman's office and bring a copy of your lease (and I'd tell them you're entirely new to Chicago) they'd sell you a few visitor passes to tide you over. Worth asking anyway.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by aragx6

I would think it's possible that if you explain this to your alderman's office and bring a copy of your lease (and I'd tell them you're entirely new to Chicago) they'd sell you a few visitor passes to tide you over. Worth asking anyway.

Agreed 100%.

All they will want is proof of your address, and to ensure you aren't buying more than your quota (2 books, I believe) that month.

However - those daily stickers SUCK to get off of your windshield, and if you forget it's a big ticket.

So just to save yourself some aggravation I'd try and get the city sticker/permit sticker as soon as you can.

[Tenzo]

Although the advice above is good. You asked two questions.

You do not have ti register your car here unless you are going to stay more than 90 days. Or your primary residence is elsewhere. I have Hawaii plates and DL. I also get my annual city sticker.

Two different things

[deadwrong03]

Originally Posted by Tenzo

Although the advice above is good. You asked two questions.

You do not have ti register your car here unless you are going to stay more than 90 days. Or your primary residence is elsewhere. I have Hawaii plates and DL. I also get my annual city sticker.

Two different things

well i work a city job so my primary address has to be in chicago, so i figure might as well and i know i cant get the parking permit without the window sticker and with that window sticker i'd have to change my registration right?

also i drove to my place tonight theres meter parking in front of the building and theres cars parked there but it look like they had some kinda meter pass (or maybe it was a parking permit? ) if its a meter pass where do u get those from?

[Drover]

Regardless of where your car is registered, you are required by ordinance to purchase a city sticker if your car is "principally garaged" in the city for 30 or more days out of the year. So you might as well go ahead and change your registration.

The "meter pass" is purchased from the nearest paybox. It will look like this. The machine spits out a receipt and expiration time and you put it on your dash. This is not a long-term parking solution. Metered parking rates range from expensive to outrageous depending on which part of the city it's in, and there's typically a limit of 2 or 3 hours.

[deadwrong03]

Originally Posted by Drover

Regardless of where your car is registered, you are required by ordinance to purchase a city sticker if your car is "principally garaged" in the city for 30 or more days out of the year. So you might as well go ahead and change your registration.

The "meter pass" is purchased from the nearest paybox. It will look like this. The machine spits out a receipt and expiration time and you put it on your dash. This is not a long-term parking solution. Metered parking rates range from expensive to outrageous depending on which part of the city it's in, and there's typically a limit of 2 or 3 hours.

right so once i buy the sticker and tell them where i live that should be it right? and this is all possible at a currency exchange? would the dmv/secretary of state be able to provide me with a permit/city sticker? or a pass since i have 30 days to get the window sticker?

[Drover]

Originally Posted by deadwrong03

right so once i buy the sticker and tell them where i live that should be it right? and this is all possible at a currency exchange? would the dmv/secretary of state be able to provide me with a permit/city sticker? or a pass since i have 30 days to get the window sticker?

As you've probably figured out, the Secretary of State's office handles driver's licensing and vehicle registration in Illinois. They have separate driver's services facilities that function as de facto DMV offices, and it's common for people to refer to them as DMVs even though there is technically no "DMV" in Illinois.

So yeah, anyway... with that out of the way, the state DMV offices do not handle Chicago city stickers. The ones located in the city used to, but not anymore. When it comes to getting a city sticker with the correct zone permit on it, there's more to it than just "telling" them where you live. You need to provide proof of your address. A signed copy of your lease should be sufficient according to the City Clerk's website (click on the "Annual Parking" tab).

And yes, you should be able to get your city sticker with correct zone permit at a currency exchange or any number of other retail outlets for a nominal upcharge, usually $5 or above what the city charges. Or you can go to one of the City Clerk's satellite offices where you won't have to pay the upcharge. In either casethe city has a handy store locator where you can locate the nearest city clerk's office or retail outlet that will handle your city sticker/permit for you.

[deadwrong03]

Alright guys thanks I was able to purchase the sticker and permit for $118 bucks. the first currency exchange wouldn'tsell it to me with my lease and no license with my new address, so I went to another one and they sold it to me.

I have one last parking related question. They have parking meters in front of my building the hours are from 9 to 6pm the meters say. So is it free to park there after 6pm till 9am? I notice people park there at night but I just want to be double and triple sure before I park there