Joliet, IL Parking Rules: Snow Removal Parking Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Snow trigger
- 2 inches or more in 24 hours
- Ban duration
- Until snow removal completed
- Exempt streets
- 3 defined downtown segments
- Enforcement
- Towing, owner pays fees
- Governing section
- Sec. 19-142, adopted 1963
Summary
Once two inches or more of snow falls in Joliet within any 24-hour period, on-street parking is banned wherever it's normally allowed until snow removal is finished. Sec. 19-142 exempts three specific downtown-area street segments from the ban and lets the city tow any vehicle left in violation, billing the owner for towing and storage.
Whenever there is a snowfall within any twenty-four-hour period which causes an accumulation of snow to a depth of two (2) inches or more, and until such time as snow removal operations are completed, it shall be unlawful for any person to park a vehicle or permit a vehicle owned by that person to be parked at locations on any street or highway where parking is normally permitted; with the following exceptions: (1)An area bounded by Raynor Avenue to Center Street from Mason Avenue and Rte. 30 (Plainfield Road) to Buell Avenue;(2)An area bounded by Raynor Avenue to Center Street from Jefferson Street to Marion Street; and(3)Pine street from Western Avenue to Division Street. ... Whenever a vehicle is parked in violation of this section, said vehicle shall be subject to being towed to an off-street location or to any other portion of a street within the limits of the city where such vehicle will no longer impede the snow removal operation. The owner of said vehicle will be liable for all towing and storage fees.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 200).
Full Breakdown
" The section carves out three specific exemptions from the ban: the area bounded by Raynor Avenue to Center Street from Mason Avenue and Route 30 (Plainfield Road) to Buell Avenue; the area bounded by Raynor Avenue to Center Street from Jefferson Street to Marion Street; and Pine Street from Western Avenue to Division Street. Everywhere else in the city, a vehicle parked in violation once the two-inch threshold is met can be towed to an off-street location or to another part of a city street that no longer blocks snow removal, and the owner is on the hook for all towing and storage fees.
The rule has been on the books since 1963 and was last amended in December 2014 (Ord. No. 17304), reflecting periodic redrawing of the exempted downtown streets rather than a change to the two-inch trigger or the core parking ban.
Violations & Fines
Parking on a street or highway during or after a qualifying snowfall, two or more inches in twenty-four hours, before snow removal is complete, violates Sec. 19-142 unless the vehicle sits on one of the three exempted downtown segments. The city can tow the vehicle to an off-street lot or a clear portion of another street, and the owner must pay all towing and storage costs in addition to any parking citation issued under Sec. 19-148.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much snow triggers Joliet's parking ban?
Are any Joliet streets exempt from the snow parking ban?
What happens if I leave my car on the street during a snow ban in Joliet?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Joliet
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