All Oak Park residents who own or lease a car are required to purchase a local license by July 15 of each year, or fees increase.
The license fee for passenger cars is $74, but all rates increase by $20 after the deadline. Drivers found not complying are at risk of a $78 ticket, in addition to still having to purchase the license.
The local license used to be displayed in Oak Park as a sticker on the windshield. In 2019, the village opted for an electronic method instead. Since then, parking enforcement officers have used license plate recognition technology to scan plates.
Officers do not regularly scan to see if vehicle owners have a local license, according to the Oak Park Police Department. But if a car is found to not have one, the officer can decide to cite them.
Residents have 14 days to appeal a vehicle license citation, by indicating the date of purchase, according to the village.
According to Village Manager Kevin Jackson’s weekly report, the village has sold 5,750 licenses from May 1, when residents can start to renew, to June 25 this year. Last year, 10,908 licenses were sold. Residents who had an active license in the past three years should have received a renewal notice, according to the report.
New residents in Oak Park have 30 days to show proof of residency and a copy of their car’s registration for approval for a local vehicle license. Proof of residency must show the resident moved in the last 30 days and could include a utility bill, voter registration card or rental lease agreement.
Newly purchased cars also have to be registered within that 30-day window. If a resident no longer owns a vehicle, by not renewing the license it will be removed from the database.
Rates for the licenses do vary. Senior citizens, those 65 and older, and disabled individuals, with a handicap plate or placard, can purchase a license for a discounted rate of $43.
Antique vehicle owners can purchase a license for $21. The fee for motorcycles is $42 and for mopeds it’s $34. Other prices, including for buses, recreational vehicles and trucks, can be found online.
Cars owned or leased by businesses, but stored in Oak Park overnight and on weekends, must also have a license. All licenses have to be renewed annually.