Chicago drivers, get your City Sticker penalty-free in April

CHICAGO - Chicago officials announced that April will be City Sticker Amnesty Month, giving car owners a chance to swerve penalties.

The backstory:

During the entirety of next month, anyone may buy a City Sticker from the City Clerk without having to pay late fees and back charges.

City Stickers can be purchased at any of the following locations:

• City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St.
• City Clerk North Side Office, 5430 W. Gale St.
• City Clerk South Side Office: 5674 S. Archer Ave.

They can be also be bought at some Department of Finance locations:

• Southwest Payment Center, 4770 S. Kedzie Ave.
• Northwest Payment Center, 4445 N. Pulaski Ave.
• Southeast Payment Center, 2006 E. 95th St.
• Central Payment Center, 400 W. Superior St.

What are City Stickers?

Big picture view:

City Stickers in Chicago are required for all vehicles registered to an address within the city limits. 

They serve as proof that a vehicle owner has paid the city’s Wheel Tax, which helps fund road maintenance and other municipal services. 

Residents must purchase a City Sticker within 30 days of moving to Chicago or acquiring a new vehicle. Failure to display a valid City Sticker can result in fines and penalties.

Annually, City Stickers range from $53 for motorbikes, up to $530 for large trucks.

Check out the price breakdown below or head over to the City Clerk's website for more details.

What they're saying:

Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia says one commercial trucker faced $5,000 in fines for failing to have a city sticker, and that he lost his job.

"We want to prevent that from happening, have this amnesty month, and an affordable city sticker option," Valencia said. "We also have the Fix-It Defense Program where if you get a city sticker ticket, you can come in and contest it once, and once you buy the city sticker, even the four months counts, you can get that ticket waived."

Motorists will have to come to the clerk's City Hall office in person to get the amnesty. Valencia says it's just one piece of legislation she's worked on.

Currently, she's pushing a proposal that would give City Council a greater role in vetting candidates to sit on boards for agencies like the Chicago Park District and the CTA, so as not to make it a mayoral rubber stamp.

"It's like checks and balances," Valencia said. "If you look at the Illinois Senate, they have confirmation hearings for big appointments. In D.C., they do the same, and that's why we want to make sure people are qualified and understand these challenges."

What's next:

The aggressive agenda begs the question: Is Valencia eyeing a run for the fifth floor herself—against struggling incumbent Mayor Brandon Johnson?

"I’ve not made a decision, but I told the City Club that I plan on running for city clerk if I do not do that," Valencia said. "Right now, where we are, if you believe in democracy, we cannot retreat."

Valencia also refused to close the door on a run for Senate should incumbent Democrat Dick Durbin choose not to run in 2026. Valencia has a long history with Durbin, having run his Senate campaign in 2014.