• The City of Chicago has numerous parking laws.downtown chicago image by Gary from Fotolia.com
  
  If you have been a resident or frequent visitor of the City of Chicago, you may already know that parking in Chicago can be a difficult and costly task. A great deal of rules and regulations exist that prohibit parking in certain areas, allow restricted parking or require advance payment for residential parking privileges. A helpful way to avoid having your car towed, ticketed or fined is to educate yourself about the many Chicago parking laws before leaving your vehicle unattended on city streets.
  
  

Residential Parking

• Many residential areas require a parking pass.Park im Fr??hling image by skybluetech from Fotolia.com
  
  Because of the large number of tourists, many residential neighborhoods in Chicago require that you have a residential parking pass (RPP) to avoid being ticketed. Anyone who parks in the restricted areas without the RPP is subject to fines and, in some instances, towing of his vehicle. You must purchase and display a RPP to legally park in residential areas. For residents, the RPP works in conjunction with the annual vehicle sticker; the residential zone number is printed on the sticker. If you are the holder of an RPP, you may purchase daily parking passes online for your guests, valid for up to 24 hours, by visiting chicityclerk.com.
  
  

Metered Parking

• Cars may be fined and ticketed for meter expiration.parking meter image by Patrick Moyer from Fotolia.com
  
  In many of Chicago's busier areas, drivers are required to pay a parking meter for a designated amount of time that their car will be parked--usually up to two hours. If your car remains in the spot beyond the paid amount of time, city authorities may ticket the vehicle. On February 2, 2010, the City of Chicago issued an ordinance stating that driver may have one ticket per year per vehicle withdrawn if the ticket was issued within five minutes of expiration. Drivers wishing to withdraw a ticket should contacting 312-744-PARK for assistance.
  
  

City Stickers

• Anyone who principally parks in Chicago for 30 days or more requires a city sticker. City stickers are valid for one year and must be renewed annually if you intend to park on city streets--public or residential. Vehicles parked on Chicago city streets that do not display a City of Chicago sticker are subject to fines that are up to $120 per violation as of 2010. The only exceptions to the ordinance state that if you are a temporary resident of Chicago for less than 30 days, or if the cited vehicle was purchased less than 30 days from the date of citation, the fine may be waived by providing documented proof of purchase or length of residency.