Chicago City Sticker & Parking Permit (2014, insuring, buy)

[Drover]

Originally Posted by 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

$118 bucks for basically half a year -- what a ripoff. The city is extremely stingy about pro-rating stickers that are not purchased at the beginning of the purchase/renewal cycle (which runs from July through June). Fortunately the City Clerk is talking about implementing rolling purchase periods so that people like you who move here and buy a sticker in November won't have to renew it until the end of next October.

Anyway, yes, metered areas are free during off-hours. However, it's extremely rare that enforcement ends at 6:00pm; usually it ends at 9:00pm and in some areas meters are in force 24/7. So just double-check that it says 6:00pm and not 9:00pm.

[deadwrong03]

Just ran into a issue that made me have another question......the street i live on requires a permit but the next block north doesnt have any signs up at all i checked a few of the cars and their stickers said none as far as the permit zone ...is it ok for me to park there even tho i have a permit zone on my sticker?

also is there a map or anything i can look at the exact streets and parking zones and none parking permit required zones in my area? i tried google but didnt help me out much

[Drover]

Originally Posted by deadwrong03

Just ran into a issue that made me have another question......the street i live on requires a permit but the next block north doesnt have any signs up at all i checked a few of the cars and their stickers said none as far as the permit zone ...is it ok for me to park there even tho i have a permit zone on my sticker?

Yes, though as a practical matter I wouldn't leave your car in the same spot more than a couple days at a time if the demand is high lest you irritate people who live nearby and have to compete for those spots.

Originally Posted by deadwrong03

also is there a map or anything i can look at the exact streets and parking zones and none parking permit required zones in my area? i tried google but didnt help me out much

Some aldermen (sorry, "alderpersons") provide a map on their web page. What ward do you live in, and do you live close to the border with another ward?

[makinthemagic]

Originally Posted by deadwrong03

Just ran into a issue that made me have another question......the street i live on requires a permit but the next block north doesnt have any signs up at all i checked a few of the cars and their stickers said none as far as the permit zone ...is it ok for me to park there even tho i have a permit zone on my sticker?

also is there a map or anything i can look at the exact streets and parking zones and none parking permit required zones in my area? i tried google but didnt help me out much

To my knowledge, no. Though I'm sure the city has that info somewhere. It's very Chicago-esque to not be transparent with that info so the city can rake in the revenue while you "learn".

If no permit is required you can park there whether or not you have a permit or Chicago city sticker or whatnot. When I have out of town guests those are the streets where I tell them to park.

My advice is to drive/walk around and read the signs. They are fairly clear and enforcement is consistent with what is posted. In 10 years of city living, I've never had a parking ticket I didn't deserve. I know of 1 friend who was ticketed once for something he didn't deserve. That's one undeserved ticket in 30 combined years of city living/driving.

[doublenickels]

The City of Chicago and Cook County requires senior citizens re-apply annually for the paltry senior citizen discounts on city vehicle stickers, water bills and tax bills. The older you get, the more likely it is you will just pay the entire amount, and avoid the paper work hassle and ID requirements to PROVE you are seventy-five, then SEVENTY-SIX, etc. City of Chicago sucks.

[berniekosar19]

I have a question about this then. We're moving to Chicago in a week from NJ.
Our car is registered under my father-in-law for cheaper insurance purposes; would we still need to register the car in Chicago then, since it's technically not ours?
We will get the sticker but would hope not to have to buy the car from him, register and get new plates.

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

[rparz]

Originally Posted by doublenickels

The City of Chicago and Cook County requires senior citizens re-apply annually for the paltry senior citizen discounts on city vehicle stickers, water bills and tax bills. The older you get, the more likely it is you will just pay the entire amount, and avoid the paper work hassle and ID requirements to PROVE you are seventy-five, then SEVENTY-SIX, etc. City of Chicago sucks.

Don't most of the retired people just move to Florida or Vegas anyway? It's too damn cold for those old bones!


Back to the OP question, if you live in a 'trendier' part of the city, the cops do roll through and will ticket your car with out of state plates if they recognize it for longer than 30 days.

If you don't live in a trendy area, you don't even need plates on your car.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by berniekosar19

I have a question about this then. We're moving to Chicago in a week from NJ.
Our car is registered under my father-in-law for cheaper insurance purposes; would we still need to register the car in Chicago then, since it's technically not ours?
We will get the sticker but would hope not to have to buy the car from him, register and get new plates.

So what happens if you cause a wreck and the insurance company gets wise that you, the true owner of car are here while the supposed owner is in another state and doesn't use it? Does the insurance company consider themselves defrauded by you and refuse to pay? What then? Does the other party then sue you personally and get a judgement against you, take your house or a hunk of your paycheck every week?

[Hickory patrick]

Originally Posted by doublenickels

The City of Chicago and Cook County requires senior citizens re-apply annually for the paltry senior citizen discounts on city vehicle stickers, water bills and tax bills. The older you get, the more likely it is you will just pay the entire amount, and avoid the paper work hassle and ID requirements to PROVE you are seventy-five, then SEVENTY-SIX, etc. City of Chicago sucks.

ya, reading it alone gave me a head ache, much less having to deal with this... glad my little city just out side Chicago did away with parking stickers 10 years ago, they cover it with our recycling alone..

[berniekosar19]

Noooo, there's nothing really underhanded about it.
It's the same thing as purchasing a car for your child: you typically, as the parent, will still have the title, registration & insurance under your name.
And that's all it is: car was a gift to my wife from her dad.
He's a retired police sergeant so if he tells me everything is on the up and up, I tend to believe him.
Plus, his insurance rep has never had a problem with the situation.

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

So what happens if you cause a wreck and the insurance company gets wise that you, the true owner of car are here while the supposed owner is in another state and doesn't use it? Does the insurance company consider themselves defrauded by you and refuse to pay? What then? Does the other party then sue you personally and get a judgement against you, take your house or a hunk of your paycheck every week?