Cicero, IL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- § 106-396, wrecking and storage business
- Bond
- $20,000.00 surety
- Distance rule
- 400 ft from church, school, hospital
- Tow truck fee
- $100-$200 per truck, per year
- Penalty
- $25-$750 per offense
Summary
Cicero requires anyone operating a tow truck or a motor vehicle wrecking and storage business to hold a town license and post a $20,000.00 bond. Wrecker yards and storage lots also need a superintendent-of-police investigation, and none may operate within 400 feet of a church, school or hospital.
No person shall act as or engage in the business of motor vehicle wrecking and no person shall store motor vehicles, as described in section 106-361, within the corporate limits without first having obtained a license and having given a bond as provided in this division. ... provided no such motor vehicle wrecker or storage yard shall be allowed within 400 feet of any church, school or hospital. ... they may direct the business license department to issue an annual license, upon payment of the fee as specified in section 26-101 and giving of a bond to be approved by the board of trustees in the sum of $20,000.00.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 121).
Full Breakdown
00 for the second and each additional truck. To get a wrecking or storage license, an applicant files a written application under Chapter 26, and the superintendent of police investigates compliance with state law and town ordinances and the applicant's moral character; the applicant must also file an affidavit of no relevant criminal convictions and the written consent of three-fourths of the property owners on both sides of the block. No wrecking business or storage yard can locate within 400 feet of a church, school or hospital.
The health and fire departments inspect the premises and report to the superintendent of police, who forwards a recommendation to the president and board of trustees. 00 bond, written by a bonding company, guaranteeing faithful compliance with town ordinances and state law; the board can refuse or revoke the license on evidence of a violation. A licensed wrecker or storage operator must keep an English-language record of every vehicle purchase, sale or exchange, including the seller's identity and the vehicle's full identifying numbers, and report that record to the superintendent of police on request. Operating outside the licensed location or violating the article can bring suspension or revocation by the board of trustees.
Violations & Fines
Acting as a motor vehicle wrecker or operating a storage yard without the required town license and $20,000.00 bond is a violation of Section 106-363, punishable by a fine of not less than $25.00 and not more than $750.00 for each offense. The board of trustees can also suspend or revoke an existing license under Section 106-400 for any violation of the article, and unlawfully purchasing a vehicle with an altered or missing state license number under Section 106-367 is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Cicero towing company need a town license?
How big a bond does a Cicero wrecker or tow company need?
Can a tow yard operate near a school in Cicero?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cicero
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