parking permits? (Chicago, Lakewood: apartment, rental, neighborhood)

[neonwattagelimit]

This hadn't even crossed my mind until I walked out my door this morning and saw a tow truck....

I'm gonna be renting a car for the weekend 'cause I'll be traversing various parts of Chicagoland to buy furniture and things for my apartment ('course it's gotta be like five degrees on Saturday, but that's another matter entirely). I live at Lakewood & Bryn Mawr. Am I going to need a permit to park around here, and, if so, how do I go about getting one?

There don't seem to be any signs saying "permit required" or some such thing, but that truck kinda scared me, plus I noticed many of the cars have a little yellow sticker in the window that says "Chicago."

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

The city sticker? Is it a glossy sticker with some art on it?

[neonwattagelimit]

Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan

The city sticker? Is it a glossy sticker with some art on it?

Yeah, that thing. That's not a parking permit?

[Chicago60614]

No, that's a sticker that must be purchased once per year (July) and placed on your car. It's a city wide program, and I think it costs around $75 per year.

The parking permits are little stickers you can also put in your car that list the zone where you're able to park. There would be signs up all over the neighborhood if you had zone parking. Something like "only people with zone 318 stickers can park here from 6pm to 6am" something like that...

[neonwattagelimit]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

No, that's a sticker that must be purchased once per year (July) and placed on your car. It's a city wide program, and I think it costs around $75 per year.

The parking permits are little stickers you can also put in your car that list the zone where you're able to park. There would be signs up all over the neighborhood if you had zone parking. Something like "only people with zone 318 stickers can park here from 6pm to 6am" something like that...

Ah, okay.....then I'll be okay, I assume? If you can park without a city sticker, what is the point of having one?

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by neonwattagelimit

Ah, okay.....then I'll be okay, I assume? If you can park without a city sticker, what is the point of having one?

You'll get a ticket for going without one eventually. Anyone who owns a car and lives in Chicago needs to have a sticker.

[aragx6]

But if it's a rental you'll be fine.

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Originally Posted by neonwattagelimit

Ah, okay.....then I'll be okay, I assume? If you can park without a city sticker, what is the point of having one?

JDiddy's right, but if you're just renting the car, you should be clear. The rental company probably has something worked out with the city, or has the cars registered outside of Chicago. If your car is registered outside of Chicago, you won't get a city-sticker ticket. I had my NC plates for a year and never got a city-sticker ticket. I got dinged two days after registering my car in Chicago for not having one.

[Drover]

You're clear. First, that's not a zoned area so you don't need a parking permit. Two, only cars registered to a Chicago address need the Chicago sticker, which in turn is not required to park on a city street.

Originally Posted by neonwattagelimit

Ah, okay.....then I'll be okay, I assume? If you can park without a city sticker, what is the point of having one?

The point is this: they'll write a $120 ticket if you don't have a sticker. And if they know you don't have one, they'll keep coming around day after day and giving you ticket after ticket until you get a sticker (which, by the way, they'll charge you a $40 late fee for if you don't buy it within 30 days of moving here). You might get away with it by hiding your car in your garage (presuming you have one which I doubt you will), but you can still get a ticket for it if you get pulled over or if you take it out on the town and park it on a city street or a city-licensed parking garage (even if it's a private garage). So most people just bite the bullet and shell out their $75 a year for the sticker.

[neonwattagelimit]

Originally Posted by Drover

You're clear. First, that's not a zoned area so you don't need a parking permit. Two, only cars registered to a Chicago address need the Chicago sticker, which in turn is not required to park on a city street.

The point is this: they'll write a $120 ticket if you don't have a sticker. And if they know you don't have one, they'll keep coming around day after day and giving you ticket after ticket until you get a sticker (which, by the way, they'll charge you a $40 late fee for if you don't buy it within 30 days of moving here). You might get away with it by hiding your car in your garage (presuming you have one which I doubt you will), but you can still get a ticket for it if you get pulled over or if you take it out on the town and park it on a city street or a city-licensed parking garage (even if it's a private garage). So most people just bite the bullet and shell out their $75 a year for the sticker.

Definitely something to keep in mind if/when I decide to buy a car, an idea I've been toying with and will probably decide on by February. But for now, I'm cool. Thanks.