Cook County, IL Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Two-way roads
- Right wheels within 12 in of curb
- One-way roads
- Right or left curb, matching traffic direction
- Fine
- $50.00 per offense
- Territorial scope
- County-jurisdiction roads, unincorporated area
- Companion rule
- Sec. 82-86 no-parking zone list
- Local ordinance override
- One-way alignment can be locally set
Summary
Cook County requires vehicles parked on a two-way road to sit within 12 inches of the right-hand curb, and sets mirrored right- or left-curb alignment rules for one-way roads, keeping curb space consistent for other users. Sec. 82-87 fines any violation $50.00 on county-jurisdiction roads.
Sec. 82-87. - Distance from the curb. (a)Except as otherwise provided in this section, every vehicle stopped or parked upon a two-way roadway shall be so stopped or parked with the right-hand wheels parallel to and within 12 inches of the right-hand curb or as close as practicable to the right edge of the right-hand shoulder.(b)No person shall move a vehicle not lawfully under such person's control into any prohibited area or away from a curb such distance as is unlawful.(c)Except when otherwise provided by local ordinance, every vehicle stopped or parked upon a one-way roadway shall be so stopped or parked parallel to the curb or edge of the roadway, in the direction of authorized traffic movement, with its right-hand wheels within 12 inches of the right-hand curb or as close as practicable to the right edge of the right-hand shoulder, or with its left-hand wheels within 12 inches of the left-hand curb or as close as practicable to the left side of the left-hand shoulder. Any person found in violation of any provision this section will be fined $50.00.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 82-87(a) requires that on a two-way roadway, every stopped or parked vehicle sit "with the right-hand wheels parallel to and within 12 inches of the right-hand curb or as close as practicable to the right edge of the right-hand shoulder" where there is no curb. Subsection (b) separately bars moving an uncontrolled vehicle into a prohibited area or an unlawful distance from a curb. in the direction of authorized traffic movement," with its wheels within 12 inches of whichever curb, right or left, matches that direction of travel.
Together with Sec. 82-86's list of outright no-parking zones (hydrants, driveways, crosswalks, fire lanes), Sec. 82-87 supplies the County's other half of curb management: not just where parking is banned, but how a vehicle must be positioned wherever parking is otherwise allowed, so curb lanes stay predictable for through traffic, deliveries and pedestrians. Per Sec. 82-2, this applies to public ways under County jurisdiction in unincorporated Cook County, County property, and municipalities that have signed an intergovernmental enforcement agreement with the County.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 82-87 closes with a flat penalty: "Any person found in violation of any provision this section will be fined $50.00." That single $50.00 fine covers both the 12-inch curb-distance requirement and the one-way directional-parking requirement, with no escalation specified for repeat offenses within the section itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far from the curb can I legally park on a two-lane county road?
Can I park facing traffic against the flow on a one-way street?
What's the penalty for parking too far from the curb?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cook County
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