Car Lockout in Chicago, IL

Parking rules that shape a car lockout in Chicago

Where the car sits can matter as much as the lock. The city's winter snow parking restrictions have two layers:

• From December 1 to April 1, parking is banned from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. on 107 miles of arterial streets, snow or not, and cars left there are towed.
• Another 500 miles of main streets can be closed to parking once 2 inches of snow is on the street, at any hour or date. Cars there can be ticketed or relocated.

If you are locked out on a signed overnight-ban street, say so in your request, because the car has a deadline. After a snowfall, a car that seems to be missing may have been towed or relocated, so check with the city before assuming it was stolen. Posted signs and the city's current notices are the authority. This is general information, not legal advice.

Heat, cold and people inside

Never leave a child or pet in a locked car, and do not wait for a locksmith if one is inside: call 911. NOAA records that during Chicago's July 1995 heat wave the heat index reached 105°F or more for 42 hours, and a closed car runs hotter than the air around it. In winter, wait somewhere sheltered such as a shop or lobby rather than beside a busy arterial street in the dark.

What location details to send

• The street and nearest cross street, and which side of the street the car is on.
• If it is in a garage or lot, the name if there is one and the level or row.
• Any parking sign nearby, especially overnight-ban or snow signs.
• Make, model and color, and whether the keys are inside, lost or the engine is running.
• Whether anyone, or any animal, is inside.

Bring photo ID and proof that the car is yours, such as the registration. If the key itself is lost, the job may continue into car key replacement. The car lockout page has the job details, and the Chicago page also summarizes the parking rules above.