Oak Park, IL Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)

Oak Park Village Code § 15-10-1 restricts who may tow a vehicle inside the Village: towing "by the Village of Oak Park or its contractor" is authorized only by the Oak Park Police Department, acting either under Article 10 of Chapter 15 or under the Illinois Vehicle Code's unlawful-weapon impoundment provisions, with a narrow emergency carve-out for the Village Manager and Fire Chief. Section 15-10-19 then binds any towing service operator that performs tows on behalf of the Village's law enforcement agency: "notwithstanding any other ordinance or statutory provisions to the contrary," that operator "must perform its services subject to the provisions of this article," meaning the same notice, hearing, recordkeeping and release rules apply to the contractor as apply to the Police Department itself.

Those obligations are concrete. Under § 15-10-8, before releasing a towed vehicle the operator must collect identity and ownership proof, a signed receipt, and a fee covering the cost of towing to the pound or an authorized garage plus storage, unless the owner instead requests a posttow hearing within 24 hours (or 15 days) or obtains immediate release within 7 days (or 15 days) by posting a deposit. Section 15-10-16 requires all towing reports, hearing decisions and disposition records to be retained for at least two years.

Section 15-10-18 makes the registered owner, not the Village, ultimately responsible for any relocation, towing, impoundment, destruction or auction costs the Village does not otherwise recover. Notice to owners must go out by both certified and regular mail under § 15-10-5.