Mount Prospect, IL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Sections that trigger a tow
- 18.1303, 18.1315, 18.1320, 18.1321, 18.1322, 18.1324
- Owner notice
- Written notice mailed within 24 hours of deposit
- Hearing request
- In writing within 2 days after receiving notice
- Hearing officer
- Village manager; determination is final
- Fees
- Set in appendix A, division II
- Release
- Unlawful to remove a vehicle until fees are paid
Summary
In the Village of Mount Prospect, section 18.1326 lets the village or its contractors tow vehicles parked in violation of sections 18.1303, 18.1315, 18.1320, 18.1321, 18.1322 or 18.1324, at the owner's expense. The village mails notice within 24 hours, and the owner can request a hearing before the village manager within 2 days.
A. In addition to the provisions of section 18.1302 of this article, any vehicle parked in violation of sections 18.1303, 18.1315, 18.1320, 18.1321, 18.1322, and 18.1324 of this article shall be subject to being towed by the village or any of its officers, agents, employees, servants, contractors and subcontractors, to a location designated by the village at the expense of the owner of the vehicle towed. B. The village shall mail written notice to the person listed in the records of the Illinois secretary of state or in the vehicle license records of the village as the registered owner of the vehicle towed advising the said owner of the location of said vehicle within twenty four (24) hours after the vehicle towed is deposited at its designated location. ... Such request must be made in writing within two (2) days following receipt of the notice, and the village manager shall take immediate steps to hold a hearing and review the action taken in towing the vehicle.
Full Breakdown
Section 18.1326 of the Mount Prospect Village Code governs non-consent tows ordered under the parking article in the Village of Mount Prospect. In addition to the police removal powers in section 18.1302, any vehicle parked in violation of sections 18.1303 (prohibited places), 18.1315 (no parking any time), 18.1320 (time restricted parking), 18.1321 (fire lanes), 18.1322 (pay parking zones) or 18.1324 (handicapped parking privileges) is subject to being towed by the village or any of its officers, agents, employees, servants, contractors and subcontractors, to a location designated by the village, at the owner's expense.
The owner gets process. Within 24 hours after the vehicle is deposited at its designated location, the village mails written notice to the registered owner shown in the Illinois secretary of state records or the village's vehicle license records, and the village can also phone. The notice states the reason for the tow and offers an opportunity to request a hearing before the village manager. The request must be in writing within 2 days following receipt of the notice, and the village manager takes immediate steps to hold a hearing. The village manager's determination that the vehicle was parked in violation is final.
Money and liability follow set rules. Fees are set in appendix A, division II of the Village Code. The village is not liable for damage that occurs as a result of the work to and the towing and storage of a vehicle, and it is unlawful for any person to remove a vehicle from a storage area until the fees for preparatory work, towage and storage are paid. Snow tows under section 18.1423 run on a 72 hour notice, with the owner paying whatever fees are charged by the person the village designated. Owners of public or private off-street facilities can remove a vehicle from a stall reserved for the physically handicapped after notifying the Mount Prospect police department, under section 18.1324C. These sections set how tows are ordered, noticed and paid for; they do not set licensing standards for tow companies.
Violations & Fines
Under section 18.1326F, the penalty for removing a vehicle from a storage area before the fees are paid is the one in section 18.1905, a fine set in appendix A, division III of the Village Code. The underlying parking violation carries its own fine under section 18.1325A, and the tow, work and storage fees under appendix A, division II are charged on top of it. The village manager's hearing decision on the basis for the tow is final under subsection C.
Frequently Asked Questions
What parking violations can get a car towed in Mount Prospect?
How will I find out where my towed car is?
Can I contest a tow in Mount Prospect?
Can I get my car out before paying the fees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mount Prospect
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