Car Lockout in Milwaukee, WI

Overnight parking and a locked car

Milwaukee's night parking rule runs from 2:00 to 6:00 a.m. In that window a car on a street needs either a night permit its owner bought or temporary permission from the city's Department of Public Works, so a lockout after dark can turn into a parking problem. Temporary permission covers up to three nights in any 30-day period. The car must be legally parked, with valid plates, and have fewer than two citations unpaid for 30 days or longer. Drivers can request it online, and the car does not have to be moved first.

Alternate-side parking rules still apply where they are required, and the city's winter regulations run from December 1 to March 1. If the lockout falls in those months, say which side of the street the car is on. This is general information, not legal advice.

Cold, heat and anyone inside

If a child or a pet is in the car, call 911 before anything else. A closed car gets dangerously cold on a Wisconsin winter night and dangerously hot in summer sun, and neither can wait. An adult locked out in a January wind should get somewhere warm while help is arranged. Say so if anyone needs medication or a medical device that is inside the car.

Location details to send

• The nearest cross streets and the side of the street. In the Historic Third Ward, give the block and the nearest cross street; East Clybourn Street forms one edge of the district.
• Whether the car is on a street, in a lot or in a building's garage, since the 2:00 to 6:00 a.m. permit rule is about cars standing on the street.
• Year, make and model, whether the keys are inside or lost, and whether the engine is running.
• Whether the car will still be on the street between 2 and 6 a.m.

A key that is lost rather than locked inside is a car key replacement job. This page covers car lockout in Milwaukee.