Parking Rules in Waukegan, IL

Every city handles parking rules a little differently. In Waukegan, Illinois, there are 10 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Snow Removal Parking Rules

Waukegan bans parking on designated snow routes after a snowfall of two inches or more until the police department finishes plowing. The ban carries a mandatory $75 fine, and the chief of police may order violating vehicles towed as traffic hazards.

Key details: Trigger: 2+ inches of snowfall. Mandatory fine: $75.00 minimum. Grace period: Not effective until 6:00 a.m.. Enforcement: Waukegan Police Department. Towing authority: Chief of police, Sec. 21-133.

Parking on a designated snow route after 2+ inches of snow triggers a mandatory $75 minimum fine per Sec. 21-129(b), and the police department may order the vehicle towed to a city vehicle pound under Sec. 21-129(c) and Sec. 21-133 as a declared traffic hazard, with the owner responsible for towing and storage costs.

Street Parking Limits

Waukegan bans parking in 17 specific locations under city code, including in front of any driveway, within an intersection, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, and within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection. Vehicles must also park parallel with the curb, facing the direction of traffic, with wheels within 12 inches of the curbline.

Key details: Blocking a driveway: Illegal at any time, § 21-116(a)(2). Fire hydrant clearance: Must stay 15 feet away. Crosswalk buffer: 20 feet at intersections required. Parking direction: Wheels within 12 inches of curb, facing traffic. Late fine penalty: Fine doubles after 21 unpaid days.

A recipient has seven days to pay the fine printed on the notice or contest it at a hearing. Skipping both deadlines results in a liability finding for the full fine, and failing to pay within 21 days after that determination doubles the fine as a late penalty. If it remains unpaid 45 days after the determination, the city adds a further $30.00 penalty and may refer the debt to a collection agency, per section 21-137.

RV & Boat Parking

Waukegan confines RV, trailer, and boat parking to the interior side or rear yard behind the front of the house, bans overnight street parking from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and requires the vehicle to sit on a hard surface with screening if kept long-term.

Key details: Location: Interior side or rear yard, behind house front. Side setback: 1 foot from interior side lot line. Rear setback: 3 feet from rear lot line. Street curfew: No parking 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.. Loading exception: 24 hours max in any yard/driveway.

The Zoning Administrator enforces the RV parking standard under UDO Section 1.03.F and may direct removal of a recreational vehicle parked in a front yard, left on the street after 10:00 p.m., or kept in a driveway beyond the 24-hour loading window without an approved extension. Section 10.08 sets no standalone fine, so violations fall under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-13(a): $25.00 to $750.00 per day, with each day of continued noncompliance a separate offense.

Driveway Rules

Waukegan limits front-yard parking to single-family and two-family homes and townhouses, and only on an actual driveway; other residential and industrial properties cannot use the front yard at all. Every parking surface, driveways included, must be a dustless hard surface rated for a 4,000-pound wheel load, so gravel and bare dirt parking areas are illegal citywide.

Key details: Front-yard parking: Only 1 space per unit, on driveway. Eligible properties: Single-family, two-family, townhouses only. Surface standard: Must hold a 4,000-lb wheel load. Gravel driveways: Explicitly not a 'hard surface' under item (17). Signage override: Posted signs control over general rule.

A ticket for front-yard or unpaved parking carries the fine printed on the notice, payable or contestable within seven days under section 21-137. If the fine goes unpaid after a liability finding, a late penalty equal to the original fine is added at 21 days, plus a further $30.00 at 45 days, and the debt can be turned over to a collection agency.

Loading Zones

Waukegan limits how long trucks, trailers, buses, and other large commercial vehicles can sit on a street for loading or unloading: no longer than necessary to complete the job, on either a residential or a business street. Pickup trucks and vans under 4,500 pounds parked at the owner's home are exempt if they carry a valid city sticker.

Key details: Time limit: No fixed minutes; must be 'expeditious' only. Covered vehicles: Trucks, trailers, buses, RVs 22 ft+, taxicabs. Residential exemption: Pickups/vans under 4,500 lbs w/ city sticker. Designated bus stops: 4 specific street locations under § 21-117. Unscheduled stop hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, by permit only.

Loading and unloading violations are punishable under the general penalty in chapter 1, section 1-13, and police may seize and impound any bus or chartered vehicle used in committing a violation under section 21-133. Complaints are brought in the city's name and adjudicated before an administrative hearing officer under chapter 2, article VIII.

Preferential Parking Districts

Waukegan designates dozens of specific residential streets, from Berwick Boulevard to Willow Court, as permit parking only. Permits come through the police department traffic division, require a valid city vehicle sticker, and are capped at two per household.

Key details: Permit issuer: Police department traffic division. Max permits, single-family: Two per residence. Max permits, multi-family: Two per residence. Prerequisite: Current city vehicle sticker required. Disqualifier: Unpaid traffic tickets bar issuance.

Parking without a valid permit on a designated permit-only street is cited under Sec. 21-134.1(e), fined per the schedule in Sec. 21-19, and processed through the administrative adjudication hearing system in Sec. 21-137; unpaid fines can lead to vehicle immobilization after five or more unpaid determinations.

EV Charging

New single-unit and two-unit dwellings built in Waukegan must include at least one EV-ready parking space per dwelling unit, and larger developments must scale up EV-capable, EV-ready, and EV-installed spaces on a sliding table tied to total parking supplied, under UDO Section 10.10.

Key details: New homes: 1 EV-ready space per dwelling unit. 76+ parking spaces: 25 total EV spaces required. Charging device height: 36 to 48 inches above pavement. Permit needed: Building Permit in every district. ADA pairing: 1 EV-installed space near ADA space (non-residential).

Completing new residential construction without the required EV-ready space per dwelling unit, or a commercial development without the EV-capable, EV-ready, or EV-installed spaces its parking count requires under Table 10.10-1, is a zoning code violation the City can cite at occupancy certificate review, since Section 11.01.C ties occupancy certificates to compliance with the site's approved standards.

Abandoned Vehicles

Waukegan bans junked, wrecked or unlicensed vehicles from any street outright, and gives private property owners only 72 hours before an abandoned vehicle must be enclosed in a building or removed. Violators face fines from $5 to $500.

Key details: Street violation: No grace period, immediate tow authority. Private property grace period: 72 hours. Posted-notice removal window: 7 days before impoundment. Penalty range: $5.00 to $500.00 per conviction. Impound sale: After 30 days, 10-20 days' notice.

Leaving a junked or unlicensed vehicle on a street violates Sec. 21-276 with no grace period and can result in immediate impoundment by the chief of police; on private property, Sec. 21-277 allows 72 hours before a seven-day posted notice under Sec. 21-278(b) leads to towing, with fines of $5.00 to $500.00 per conviction under Sec. 21-282.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Waukegan actively enforces its abandoned vehicles requirements.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Waukegan bars limousines, buses, tow trucks, semi-trailers, box trucks, and construction, landscaping, and agricultural vehicles from residential-district parking unless garaged, hidden from the right-of-way, or actively loading, delivering, or under repair. Visible parking on streets or driveways is flatly prohibited.

Key details: Covered vehicles: Limousines, buses, tow trucks, semis, box trucks, ag/construction vehicles. Exceptions: Enclosed garage, not visible, or actively working. Street parking: Prohibited if visible from right-of-way. Applies to: All residential zoning districts. Fine range: $25-$750 per day (Sec. 1-13).

The Zoning Administrator enforces the commercial-vehicle parking ban under UDO Section 1.03.F and may seek help from the Police Department or Corporation Counsel to have a visible commercial vehicle removed from a residential driveway or street. Section 10.02 carries no standalone fine, so a violation defaults to the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-13(a): $25.00 to $750.00, with each day the vehicle remains visibly parked treated as a separate offense.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Waukegan actively enforces its commercial & oversized vehicles requirements.

Overnight Parking

Waukegan bars parking anywhere in the city between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless the vehicle displays a current city sticker, and separately bans overnight parking on 17 named streets and for any vehicle taller than 8 feet, 6 inches. Police may allow exceptions case by case if notified ahead of time.

Key details: Restricted hours: 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. every day. Sticker required: Current city sticker needed citywide overnight. Height limit: No vehicle over 8 ft 6 in overnight. Named streets: 17 street segments banned outright overnight. Exceptions: Police may allow day-to-day by prior notice.

An overnight violation is cited like any other parking ticket under the administrative adjudication system in section 21-137: the registered owner has seven days to pay the fine on the notice or request a hearing. A liability finding left unpaid for 21 days doubles as a late penalty, and an additional $30.00 attaches after 45 days, after which the debt can be sent to collections.

The Bottom Line

Waukegan is tougher than many cities when it comes to parking rules. Out of the 10 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Waukegan, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Waukegan's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.