Chicago City Vehicle Sticker FAQs

Renewals

The Office of the City Clerk offers convenient options for you to buy your City Vehicle Sticker online or mail.

Renewing your City Vehicle Sticker is easy with your Courtesy Renewal Reminder. The Office of the City Clerk makes every effort to reach Chicagoans to remind them that their City Vehicle Sticker (Wheel Tax) is due for renewal. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, sometimes these reminders are not received.

Please note that the mailed renewal reminder is a courtesy extended by our office. Lack of mailed notice does NOT warrant any waiver of late fees and/or fines from tickets stemming from late renewal of City Vehicle Sticker.

As such, please be mindful of the expiration date printed on your City Vehicle Sticker. Also note that there is a 30-day grace period after your sticker’s expiration date which allows you to purchase without penalties for 30 days.

If you no longer own the vehicle listed on your renewal form and have a NEW vehicle, you may need to provide additonal documentation to our office. Click here for more details about new vehicles.

If you are buying a City Vehicle Sticker for the first time, click here for more information about the documentation we need from you.

Purchase a Chicago Vehicle Sticker Online

Click the link below to purchase new Chicago City Vehicle Stickers or Chicago Residential Parking Daily Permits online via EZ>BUY. Please allow 12 business days for delivery via the US Postal Service. If you still have not received your order in the mail after 12 business days, please contact us at 312-742-5375.

Buy online with EZ>BUY

If you have a new vehicle and did not receive a Chicago City Vehicle Sticker Courtesy Reminder, or if your vehicle make, model, license plate or VIN is printed incorrectly on your Chicago City Vehicle sticker Courtesy Reminder and you want to become eligible to buy your Chicago City Vehicle Sticker online, please do the following:

Locate your valid Driver’s License or State ID AND current State Vehicle Registration ID Card. If you are a new Chicago residentor recently acquired a vehicle please read the section about grace period documentation requirements to avoid late fees.
Scan or photograph and send these items to ezbuy@cityofchicago.org. We will send you a new reference number and enable you to buy online via EZ>BUY.

Please insure that all information is legible in order for us to create the record.

Purchase a Chicago City Vehicle Sticker by Mail

Follow the instructions on your Chicago City Vehicle Sticker Courtesy Renewal Reminder to renew by mail.

Purchase a Chicago City Vehicle Sticker in Person

To purchase a Chicago City Vehicle Sticker in-person, you must bring:

Chicago City Vehicle Sticker Courtesy Reminder OR;
State Vehicle Registration ID Card, which includes your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and license plate information (in-state or out-of-state registrations are acceptable); AND
A photo ID
Proof of current address

Transfers

When you relinquish ownership of a vehicle and obtain a new vehicle (different VIN), you can transfer the City Sticker from your first vehicle to the second (e.g. per vehicle trade-in) through the Office of the City Clerk. Car dealerships, Department of Finance and third party seller locations do NOT perform transfers.

To transfer your City Sticker to another vehicle, you must provide the following documentation:

Your old City Sticker, regardless of its conditions; AND,
Provide your State Vehicle Registration ID Card AND proof of purchase date for the new vehicle, such as a bill of sale.

Please note the following:

The transfer fee is a minimum of $5.00 when the license type does not change. Additional fees may be required if the license type is upgraded (e.g. if you upgrade from a sedan to an SUV) and/or the sticker price has increased.
City Stickers are NOT transferable between individuals or companies. If the City Sticker displayed on your vehicle was purchased by the previous owner, or the City Sticker displays your old vehicle information, you are subject to fines for not complying with the Chicago Wheel Tax. You must transfer your City Sticker through the Office of the City Clerk – dealerships and other entities cannot transfer City Stickers.
If your City Sticker for your old vehicle is expiring in less than two months, you will be subject to pay your renewal fees at the time of the transfer.

Same Vehicle, Different License Plate?

If you received a new License Plate on a vehicle for which you already have a City Sticker, please email your plate registraion to ezbuy@cityofchicago.org and provide your updated plate registration. There is no additional cost to update your plate number. You must provide your old City Vehicle Sticker, regardless of its condition in order to receive a new sticker with an updated License Plate. If your City Sticker is due to expire within two months or less, you must purchase your renewal sticker with the updated plate number.

New Residents, New Vehicles, New License Plates

If you are a new resident to Chicago, you must purchase a Chicago City Vehicle Sticker. If you obtain a new vehicle you must purchase a Chicago City Vehicle Sticker or transfer your vehicle sticker to your new vehicle. If you are a new resident to Chicago or your vehicle is new to you (or both) you must fill out this e-form so we can create a record for your vehicle. Read further down the page for more information.

If you are a new resident to Chicago, or your vehicle is new to you (or both), avoid late fees and only pay for the time you began your residency/purchase date through the sticker expiration date by providing one of the following items in addition to your vehicle information:

In order to create or update your record, we will need proof of your full VIN, license plate number, and plate expiration, which are listed on your State Vehicle Registration ID Card.

Please provide a legible copy of your State Vehicle Registration Card and government issued ID (Driver's License/State ID)

New Resident should provide one of the following documents:

Lease document proving date of lease of residential property
Mortgage document or deed proving purchase date of residential property

New Vehicle should provide one of the following documents:

Bill of sale from a bona fide vehicle seller/dealership
Executed vehicle title document (in lieu of bill of sale from bona fide vehicle seller/dealership) – must include VIN
Customer-copy of a validated Illinois Department of Revenue Official Form: ST-556
Customer-copy of a validated Illinois Secretary of State Official Form: VSD 190

NOTE: You are subject to the Wheel Tax on the exact date you begin your residency in Chicago and/or acquire a new vehicle, and your City Vehicle Sticker Term Start will be the first of the month in which you reside in Chicago or acquired your vehicle. The date your document was processed/printed/stamped by the issuing entity is irrelevant. Please ensure that the purchase date or date you established residency is clearly indicated on your valid documentation.

New records – by default – include a $60 late fee ($30.00 for senior-discounted City Stickers) as well as possible monthly prorated back charges. The date your documentation was processed/printed/stamped by the issuing entity (such as the Illinois Secretary of state, Illinois Department of Revenue, etc.) is irrelevant to the City Vehicle Sticker Term Start. Please ensure that your move-in/purchase date are clearly indicated on your valid documentation.

Lost, Damaged or Stolen Stickers

To replace your City Vehicle Sticker in the event it was lost in the mail you must complete an afffidavit form and send it ezbuy@cityofchicago.org - along with a photo ID and proof of current address.

If you lose your city sticker or it was stolen, you must provide a misc. police report and pay a $5 replacement fee to receive another sticker.

If your vehicle’s windshield was damaged or replaced, you must surrender your old City Sticker or provide a bill for the windshield replacement and pay $5.

Disclaimer: If you still do not receive your City Sticker after the Office of the City Clerk has attempted to mail it to you twice, you may need to visit a City Clerk location to receive your replacement with your photo ID and proof of your current address, and you may be subject to a $5 administrative fee.

Seniors 65+

Senior Discount Eligibility Requirements

Per City Ordinance, residents that meet the requirements below are eligible to purchase one discounted City Sticker at $33.68 per year for a Passenger (P), Large Passenger (LP) or Motorbike (MB) and one discounted City Sticker at $141.75 per year for a Small Truck (ST).

Requirements and Restrictions for Senior Discounts:

Unexpired Illinois Driver’s License or State ID
Name on Driver’s License that matches name on vehicle registration;
65 years old or older by the Sticker Term Start. In the case of new vehicles/residents, Term Start is the first day of the month in which you purchased the vehicle or moved to the City of Chicago. In the case of renewals, Term Start is the day after your current City Sticker expires.
One discount on Passenger (P), Large Passenger (LP) or Motorbike (MB) vehicle (pickup trucks and large vans do not qualify; check Courtesy Reminder for Vehicle Type); AND,
One discount on a small truck (ST)

If you believe you are eligible based on the requirements above, please present your Illinois Driver’s License or State ID and vehicle registration at a sales location.

If you received a Courtesy Renewal Reminder that did not include the senior-discounted price, but you qualify per the eligibility requirements outlined above, and wish to purchase by mail please send the following items to our office: your Chicago City Vehicle Sticker Courtesy Reminder, for the amount listed on the courtesy reminder, and a copy of the front and back of your Illinois driver’s license.

Residential Zone Parking may be added for an additional price ($25 per year; prorated for varying durations) if you reside in a Residential Parking Zone.

To receive a senior discount on a new vehicle before the expiration date of your current senior-discounted City Sticker, you must present your Illinois Driver’s License or State ID, old City Sticker, and new vehicle registration at a City Clerk location and request a City Sticker Transfer.

Discount and No-Fee Sticker Programs

Please Note: Discount and no fee stickers cannot be ordered online.

Reduced Term City Sticker

The Office of the City Clerk reintroduced the Reduced Term City Sticker, originally introduced in October 2019, to provide residents with more flexibility when purchasing a City Sticker. The new policy allows residents to purchase the required City Sticker in smaller installments - 4 months at a time for $31.82.

The Reduced Term Sticker expires on the last day of the expiration month printed on the sticker. The Reduced Term City Sticker will run through July 31, 2022.

HOW IT WORKS

Residents who choose to purchase a Reduced Term Sticker receive a courtesy renewal notice 45 days prior to the expiration of their current sticker.

At the time of expiration, individuals who purchased the Reduced Term Sticker can buy another Reduced Term Sticker or renew at the yearly or two-year sticker option.

They can either come back into a City Clerk location or renew their sticker online at www.ezbuy.chicityclerk.com

Antique Vehicles

An Antique Vehicle, or show vehicle, is an automobile that is 25 years or older and used exclusively for shows or exhibitions. To qualify for an Antique Vehicle (AV) emblem, the vehicle must have an Illinois antique motor vehicle (AV) license plate. However, antique vehicles used for everyday, non-exhibition purposes do not qualify for this discount and should display a Chicago City Vehicle Sticker, purchased at regular price. Vehicles with the Antique Vehicle emblem cannot park on any City streets without the risk of being ticketed for non-compliance with the Chicago Wheel Tax.

This discount is only offered at Chicago City Clerk locations.

No-Fee Disability Sticker

As a continuing service to our disabled constituents and in accordance with City Ordinance, the Chicago City Clerk offers a No-Fee City Vehicle Sticker to persons with a qualifying disability. The Annual Residential Zone Parking feature may be added at no additional cost for those living in a Residential Parking Zone.

Please download the Disability City Vehicle Sticker form to see eligibility requirements and to apply.

Mail or deliver all contents of the application to:

Office of the City Clerk

Attn: Disability Sticker

121 N. LaSalle St, Room 107

Chicago, IL 60602-1295

No-Fee Charitable Vehicle Sticker

No-Fee Charitable (NFZ) stickers are for tax-exempt organizations with vehicles that hold 11 or more passengers and are used only for the purpose of transportation of passengers; not cargo, materials, or equipment.

To receive a No-Fee Sticker for such a vehicle, the applicant must provide the following documentation:

A current copy of the State Vehicle Registration ID card for a vehicle that hold 11 or more people (typically a large van or bus; small to mid-sized passenger vehicles do not qualify for NFZ stickers);
A Charitable Vehicle (CV) license plate, as indicated on the vehicle registration; AND,
A tax-exempt letter issued by the Illinois Department of Revenue or the Federal government indicating that the organization is a not for profit organization with 501(c)(3) status.

No-Fee Veteran Sticker

Starting on November 12, 2019 our office has expanded the terms of our No Fee City Sticker Pilot Program for many of our City's Veterans. Residents who have an unexpired Illinois Driver's License or State ID with a VETERAN designation will be eligible to receive one City Sticker for a passenger (P), large passenger (LP) or motorbike (MB) at no fee.

Ex-Prisoners of War, Purple-Heart Veterans, or disabled veterans with Illinois PW, PR, IS or DV plates will remain eligible for City Stickers on those vehicles for no fee.

Please note that residents can only take advantage of this offer at Office of the City Clerk locations. There will be no refunds for already issued stickers, people will qualify when their sticker is up for renewal.

Annual Residential Zone Parking may be added for $25.00 if purchaser resides in a Residential Parking Zone.

No-Fee Government Sticker

Chicago City Vehicle Stickers for government vehicles can be obtained at no cost. Please contact the City Clerk’s Data Services Division at 312-742-5375 for more information regarding consulate, city, county, state, or federally-owned vehicles.

Other: Large Volume, Dealers, Pickup and Commercial

Commercial and Non-Commercial Residential Truck Parking

Non-commercial pick-up trucks weighing less than 8,000 pounds may park in the City of Chicago – provided certain conditions are met:

If the non-commercial pick-up truck is owned by a City Resident and has a current and valid City Sticker, the owner may park the vehicle on a Residential or Business street.
If the non-commercial pick-up truck is owned by a Non-Chicago resident (e.g. a visitor from the suburbs) and does not have a current and valid City Sticker, the owner may park the vehicle on a Business street.
Commercial pick-up trucks, junk vehicles, and any pick-up truck weighing more than 8,000 pounds are prohibited from parking on ANY residential and business streets.

See Chapters 9-64 and 9-68 of the Municipal Code of Chicago.

Companies with 25 or More Vehicles

A company with 25 or more vehicles should contact the City Clerk’s Data Services Division at 312-742-5375 for pricing and purchase information.

Please note that a business that owns, rents, or otherwise controls any property in Chicago must obtain a City Vehicle Sticker for each vehicle used in Chicago. If your company has Chicago and non-Chicago locations, a City Vehicle Sticker is required for every vehicle used in Chicago, even if the vehicle is registered to a on-Chicago address. However, if the vehicle is principally garaged or principally dispatched from a non-Chicago location, and a wheel tax or vehicle tax is required by that non-Chicago location, then your Chicago City Vehicle Sticker will be discounted accordingly.

Dealer/Demonstration Tags

Demonstration vehicles and vehicles that are owned by car dealerships are required to display a metal tag in place of the standard City Vehicle Sticker. This tag costs $101.02 and can be obtained from the Data Services Division of the Office of the City Clerk, 312-742-5375. Dealer tags are not transferable from vehicle to vehicle.

Vehicle City Stickers

Vehicle Sticker Type Prices

The chart below lists the annual price of each License Type. Pricing is prorated based on the duration options offered to you at the point of sale. The Office of the City Clerk determines your make and model according to your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) as contained in the State Vehicle Registration ID Card and assigns a License Type based on that make and model.

Vehicle Body Type	License Type	Annual Price (2021)	Annual Price (2022)*
Motorbike	Motorbike (MB)	$48.11	$50.52
Vehicle with curb weight of 4,500 lbs or less with a payload capacity of 2,499 lbs or less	Passenger (P)	$90.88	$95.42
Vehicle with curb weight of 4,501 lbs or more with a payload capacity of 2,499 lbs or less	Large Passenger (LP)	$144.33	$151.55
Vehicle, Truck, pickup truck with closed or open bed, or van with a gross weight of 16,000 lbs or less or with a payload capacity of 2,500 lbs or more	Small Truck (ST)	$213.82	$224.51
Truck or vehicle with a gross weight of 16,001 lbs or more with a payload capacity of 2,500 lbs or more	Large Truck (LT)	$481.10	$505.16

*Effective February 1, 2020 | *Effective January 1, 2022

License Type classifications are descriptors of your vehicle’s weight class and not necessarily indicative of your vehicle’s body type. For example, your vehicle may fall into a “Small Truck” license type although you have a closed van.

The Office of the City Clerk reserves the right to void any order – and void shipment of the order – if it is determined a purchase was made fraudulently.

Once an order is placed online, IT CANNOT BE CANCELLED.

City Vehicle Stickers are only eligible for refunds in the case of duplicate City Sticker purchases, or if the Office of the City Clerk determines a customer was provided with a City Sticker with invalid information.

The Office of the City Clerk shall not be held liable for any improper or incorrect use of the information described and/or contained herein and assumes no responsibility for anyone’s use of the information.

Please bring these documents in person...or submit documents to our e-form in order to retrieve a customer code to purchase daily passes online.

If you ordered your City Sticker online or by mail but never received it, you may be eligible for a free replacement.

City Stickers purchased online should arrive within 7-12 business days. If 12 or more business days have passed since you ordered your City Sticker online, or if more than 30 days have passed since you ordered your City Sticker by mail, please call us at 312-74C-LERK (312-742-5375) to determine if your Chicago Vehicle Sticker was returned to our office as undeliverable.

If your order was returned to us, we will verify your correct address and mail it to you once again.

If we determine your order may have been lost in the mail, you may be eligible to receive a free replacement. To apply for your replacement you must complete an affidavit form (link) and bring it to a City Clerk location, along with your photo ID and proof of your current address.

Disclaimer: If you still do not receive your City Sticker or Residential Daily Permits after the Office of the City Clerk has attempted to mail it to you twice, you must visit a City Clerk location to receive your replacement with your photo ID and proof of your current address, and you may be subject to a $5 administrative fee.

Grace Period, Late Fees and Fines

Per City Ordinance, a $60.00 late fee, $30.00 for senior-discounted stickers, must be applied to all City Vehicle Stickers purchased after the end of the designated purchasing grace period.

All Chicago City Vehicle Stickers expire on the last day of the month. Our office offers a 30 day grace period to purchase your City Vehicle Sticker without a late fee or back charge.

NOTICE REGARDING TICKETS: Beginning October 1, 2019, the grace period for tickets will be reinstated to 15 days. Hence, a vehicle with an expired City Vehicle Sticker may receive a ticket the 16th day after the City Vehicle Sticker expires.

For example, if your City Vehicle Sticker is labeled 5/22 it expires May 31st of 2022. In this example, you would have until June 30th, 2022 to purchase your City Vehicle Sticker without a late fee or back charge. However, you could start receiving tickets on June 16th every 24 hour period until you purchase and display your City Vehicle Sticker.

If you are a new resident or have purchased a vehicle within the past 30 days, please visit the "New Residents, New Vehicles. New License Plate" tab for details about documents we accept as proof of date you established residency or proof of vehicle purchase date.

Administrative Rules and Chicago Code

To view the Office of the City Clerk’s Wheel-Tax Administrative Rules, click here.

To view the Chicago Wheel Tax Refund Form, click here.

To view the Office of the City Clerk's Professional Service Parking Administrative Rules, click here. *Note: The Professional Service Parking program ended on 12/31/17

To view Chapter 3-56 of the Chicago Municipal Code, governing City Stickers, click here.

To view Chapter 9-64 of the Chicago Municipal Code, Parking Regulations, click here.

Contractor Parking Placard

Contractor Parking Placard

A contractor who is actually engaged in delivery, service or repair work at a particular address for a particular customer is allowed to park their vehicle within a reasonable distance of the address where such work is being performed if:

The vehicle is emblazoned with the business name and business license number of its owner; and
The customer’s address is clearly displayed on the vehicle’s dashboard; and
The vehicle is lawfully parked in accordance with the general parking requirements of this Code.

Parking is permitted only while such work is actually being performed and at no other time. If a service vehicle permit is required, such permit must be obtained.

For a copy of the Contractor Parking Placard form click here.

See Section 9-64-170(a)(3) and (b)(3) of the Municipal Code of Chicago.