Overview
- The calendar-based restriction runs nightly from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., Dec. 1 through April 1, on roughly 107 miles of main streets and is enforced whether or not it snows.
- City officials reported 227 vehicles were towed on the first night, compared with 244 a year ago and 263 in 2023, marking the second-lowest first-night total this decade.
- Drivers face a minimum $150 towing fee, a $60 ticket, and $25 per day in storage for violations.
- Towed vehicles are taken to Pound 2 at 10301 S. Doty Ave. or Pound 6 at 701 N. Sacramento Ave., and owners can locate cars via chicagoshovels.org or by calling 311.
- A separate ban activates whenever at least two inches of snow accumulates and covers about 500 additional miles of main streets at any time of day, with several motorists saying they were unaware of these rules.