Deadline Here For Chicago Vehicle Stickers
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CHICAGO (CBS) -- If you haven't purchased a city vehicle sticker yet, you'd better get to City Hall this afternoon, or face up to $260 in late fees and fines starting Wednesday.
WBBM Newsradio's John Cody reports Tuesday is the last day of the 15-day grace period to buy a Chicago vehicle sticker. At midnight, police can begin issuing $200 tickets for failure to display a vehicle sticker, and starting Wednesday, vehicle owners must pay a $60 late fee to buy a sticker.
Dozens of people were in line at City Hall on Tuesday morning to buy vehicle stickers that cost $85.97 for most passenger vehicles; $136.54 for vehicles heavier than 4,500 pounds; and $202.28 for pickup trucks.
Seniors 65 and older get a discount, and pay only $30.34 for a vehicle sticker, though they only get the discount for one vehicle.
Though online sales of city stickers have become much more convenient, some said they prefer the old school method of buying their sticker in person.
"I don't really like computers, period. I don't like to do online things. Too much theft going on with online stuff, so I stay off of it," one anonymous motorist said.
Another man said he didn't realize until Tuesday that he needed to buy a sticker.
One man who was in line to buy a sticker for his church's van
This year's vehicle stickers mark the start of a year-round renewal program. Instead of all vehicle stickers expiring June 30 as they have for years, expiration dates will be offset six months from the same car's license plate renewal date, so you don't have to pay both at the same time. Starting in 2016, the 15-day grace period for buying a city sticker will end.
The year-round renewal system should prevent the huge lines motorists often run into at City Hall in June when every driver in the city must buy a city sticker during the same small timeframe in early summer.
