Chicago, IL Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Ban hours
- 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Season
- December 1 – March 31
- Fine
- $60.00 (§ 9-100-020)
- Where it applies
- Only posted 'tow zone' streets
- Snow required?
- No: applies regardless of snowfall
Summary
Chicago bans overnight street parking from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. between December 1 and March 31 on streets posted as snow-removal tow zones, regardless of actual snowfall.
For the purpose of facilitating snow removal, the commissioner of transportation is authorized to erect and maintain signs prohibiting the parking of vehicles on any street or streets within the city between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. from December 1st of any year to March 31st of the following year and to further designate such street or streets as "tow zones." It shall be unlawful to park any vehicle on any street in violation of a sign erected or maintained pursuant to this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-74: Current through Council Journal of June 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under MCC § 9-64-060, the commissioner of transportation may post signs banning parking from 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. every night from December 1 through March 31, marking those blocks as winter 'tow zones.' Unlike the separate snow-route rule at § 9-64-070, this ban applies on signed streets whether or not snow has actually fallen that night, the trigger is the calendar and the posted hours, not weather. The city posts specific corridors, mostly arterials and bus routes, rather than banning overnight parking citywide, so drivers have to check for tow-zone signage on their block.
Violations & Fines
Parking on a posted winter-ban street between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m., Dec. 1 through Mar. 31, draws a $60 fine under § 9-100-020, plus towing as a tow-zone violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the overnight ban apply on every street?
Does it only apply if it actually snowed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chicago
How Chicago compares: Cities with the Strictest Overnight Parking Rules·Compare Chicago to another location·View the Illinois parking rules overview
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Overnight Parking in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle overnight parking.