There’s still time — but the clock is ticking.
Every Oak Park resident who owns or leases a vehicle is required to purchase and display an annual vehicle sticker by July 16. Anyone who misses the deadline must purchase a sticker and pay a $20 late fee. And failure to display a valid village sticker by the deadline also may result in a $50 ticket.
The money collected from the permits goes into the village’s general fund, helping keep the balance intact. It’s an important component of the budget, officials said.
Unfortunately, some opt not to follow the regulation. In 2011 alone, Oak Park issued 2,479 tickets for not complying, according to Jill Velan, Oak Park’s interim parking services manager.
“With any program, it’s hard to have 100 percent compliance,” Velan said. “You’ll always have people who try to beat the system.”
Although the village isn’t able to update its residential car registry on an annual basis, due to staffing time needed for the process, the village updates its lists ever few years with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office.
Thus far, the vehicle sticker sale rate is roughly 20 percent higher than the same time last year with just a few weeks left to purchase in time. Residents are encouraged to renew stickers online at the village’s website to save time, but new purchasers must go to village hall.
