Cicero, IL Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Abandoned = unmoved
- 7 days on the public way
- Also abandoned if
- Incapable of being driven
- Removal authority
- Superintendent of police, no prior notice
- Notice deadline
- Within 24 hours of tow
- Hearing request window
- 7 days after notice or forfeit
- Unclaimed disposal
- 15 days after hearing
Summary
Cicero's Town Code defines an abandoned vehicle as one on the public way that is either incapable of being driven or has sat unmoved for seven days, and Sec. 94-487 lets the superintendent of police tow it away immediately without prior notice, along with hazardous, derelict, or accident-involved vehicles.
Sec. 94-486. - Definitions. Abandoned vehicle means a vehicle parked or otherwise located on the public way and: (1) In such a state of disrepair that it is incapable of being driven; or (2) That has been unmoved for a period of seven days. Sec. 94-487. - Authority to remove vehicles. (a) The superintendent of police is authorized to immediately and without prior notice tow away or cause to be towed away any vehicle on any public street, public place, or private property when the motor vehicle is: (1) An accident-involved motor vehicle. (2) A hazardous vehicle. (3) A derelict motor vehicle.
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
Division 7 of Chapter 94 defines the categories of vehicles Cicero's police can remove without notice. Sec. ' The same section separately defines a 'derelict motor vehicle' as one that 'lacks wheels, motor, transmission, battery or any other component part such that it is inoperable and constitutes a hazard to the public,' and a 'hazardous vehicle' as one that by its condition or location is a clear and present danger or traffic obstruction. Sec. 94-487 gives the superintendent of police authority to tow away, immediately and without prior notice, any vehicle on a public street, public place, or private property that falls into any of these categories, along with vehicles involved in accidents, tow-away zone obstructions, or improperly stored equipment on a private lot.
00 or more in unpaid parking fines can also be towed under this authority. Once towed, the owner must be notified within 24 hours (or by the second working day if towed late on a weekend or holiday), and the owner has seven days after that notice to request a hearing before the right to challenge the tow is forfeited.
Violations & Fines
An owner whose vehicle meets the definition of abandoned, derelict, hazardous, or accident-involved under Sec. 94-486 faces immediate, notice-free towing and impoundment under Sec. 94-487. The owner must pay the full cost of the tow and any storage before reclaiming the vehicle if the tow is upheld, and failing to claim the vehicle within 15 days after a tow hearing means it is treated as abandoned and disposed of under state law.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a car sit unmoved on a Cicero street before it counts as abandoned?
Does the town have to warn me before towing an abandoned vehicle?
What if I never come to claim my towed vehicle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cicero
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle abandoned vehicles.