Every winter the same thing happens on the Far South Side. A car that died in November is still at the curb on December 1, nobody remembers which side of the street the signs are on, and at 3 a.m. a city tow truck takes it to Doty Avenue.
If your car can’t move, here is what you need to know before then.
The two bans, in plain terms
The City of Chicago runs two separate winter restrictions, according to its winter snow parking page:
- Winter Overnight Parking Ban. 107 miles of arterial streets, 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., every night from December 1 through April 1, whether or not it snows. Signs are posted permanently along the routes.
- Two-Inch Parking Ban. About 500 more miles of main streets, switched on when there are at least two inches of snow on the street, at any hour and on any date.
Ban streets on the Far South Side
The city’s own dataset of overnight ban routes includes these stretches that matter on our side of town:
| Street | Ban stretch (city data) | Communities it runs through |
|---|---|---|
| 79th Street | Cicero Ave to South Shore Dr | through Auburn Gresham and Avalon Park; the border of Chatham, Greater Grand Crossing, South Chicago and South Shore |
| 103rd Street | Torrence Ave to Kedzie Ave, and Torrence to State Line Rd | Washington Heights, Beverly, Roseland, Pullman and a short piece of Mount Greenwood |
| Cottage Grove Ave | Midway Plaisance to 103rd St | Greater Grand Crossing and Chatham, ending at Pullman’s northwest corner |
| Torrence Ave | 103rd St to 106th St | South Deering, east of Pullman |
Check the posted signs on your block too; the data portal map shows every segment.
What a ban tow costs
The city lists a minimum $150 towing fee, a $60 ticket and $25 per day in storage for cars towed for the overnight ban. Cars go to Pound 2 at 10301 S. Doty Ave. or Pound 6 at 701 N. Sacramento. For a car that already doesn’t run, those charges can add up to more than the car is worth to you, and it still won’t run when you get it back.
Your options before December 1
- Move it off the ban street. If you can push it or get it started, a side street without ban signs is safer for now. Remember a car that hasn’t moved in more than seven days can be reported as abandoned; see our abandoned-car guide.
- Get it into a garage or a driveway. Off the public way, the ban doesn’t apply.
- Sell it now. We tow dead cars off ban streets at no charge and pay at pickup, so the car leaves on your schedule instead of the city’s. Read how we handle cars that don’t run.
Already towed?
Find the car through the city first; call 311 or use the city’s towed vehicle locator. If you decide the car isn’t worth releasing, keep in mind that a pound releases cars only after fees are paid, and the city notes that surrendering a car doesn’t cancel debt you owe. Our booted car guide covers how city fees follow the owner.
A dead car on a ban street is an easy call to make in October. Get an offer before the signs start counting.