Naperville, IL Parking Rules: Towing & Impound Rights (2026)

Naperville runs two separate towing tracks, and the money at stake differs sharply between them.

The expensive track is the unlawful vehicle impoundment in Sections 11-5B-12 through 11-5B-16. Section 11-5B-1 defines an unlawful vehicle as one reported stolen, one that is the subject of a search and seizure by the Police Department, one towed incident to arrest, or one used in connection with a Class A misdemeanor or a felony under the Illinois Criminal Code, or where an outstanding warrant has been issued for the driver. When police seize and impound on that basis, Section 11-5B-12 makes the owner civilly liable to the City of Naperville for an administrative fee of $500. That fee is payable to the City itself and sits on top of the licensed tow operator’s towing and storage charges. Before the vehicle is released, the owner must post a cash bond equal to that liability and pay the tow and storage fees. An owner whose vehicle was stolen is not liable for the administrative fee, and vehicles held as evidence or subject to Article 36 seizures under the Illinois Criminal Code cannot be bonded out at all.

Two hearings are available. Under Section 11-5B-13, the owner may file a written request for a preliminary hearing within 48 hours of the seizure, excluding holidays and weekends, and the Chief of Police or a designee must conduct it within 48 hours of receiving the request. That preliminary hearing is informal, is not subject to the formal rules of evidence, and may be conducted over the phone. If the Chief finds no probable cause, the vehicle is released without fees or towing or storage costs. Otherwise the full administrative hearing follows within 45 days, conducted in conjunction with the City’s administrative hearings system at Section 11-1-10 and recorded as statute requires. A sworn or affirmed officer report describing the circumstances is prima facie evidence of probable cause and of the owner’s liability unless rebutted by clear and convincing evidence. Any cash bond already posted is applied to the fee, and a vehicle still impounded after the hearing may not be released before the administrative fee is paid. Police must mail written notice of the impoundment by first class mail within 10 days of the seizure, stating the hearing date and warning that failure to appear results in a finding of liability.

The ordinary track covers hazardous and abandoned vehicles and carries no $500 city fee. Hazardous vehicles, including vehicles disabled in a crash and vehicles parked where posted signs authorize towing, may be towed without prior notice under Section 11-5B-5. Section 11-5B-8 then requires certified or registered mail notice, tracked through USPS.com, no later than 10 business days after impoundment. The owner has 15 days from that mailing or personal delivery, or from release of the vehicle, whichever comes first, to request a post-tow hearing, and the right is otherwise deemed waived. Abandoned vehicles get the reverse sequence: notice first, then seven days to request a pre-tow hearing, which is scheduled within 15 days, and the owner can avoid the tow entirely by moving the vehicle to a lawful location. Hearing officers are appointed by the City Manager and may never be someone involved in the original decision to tow. What the operator may charge on any police-ordered tow is capped by the rotation tow list schedule at Section 11-5A-10, which for 2022-23 sets a light duty tow at $175, a medium duty tow at $210, a heavy duty tow at $355, storage at $30 per day for light duty vehicles with no charge for the first day, and $50 per occasion for an after-hours release. Licensee storage lots must keep normal business hours of at least Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.