Chicagoist: Don't Forget Your Sticker, Sucker!

Stephen

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:45:57 -0600

As far as I could tell, there is no official effort to inform new city residents about this requirement, since license plates are the provenance of the State. But why would they, when sticker + late fee + ticket= hundreds for the city? States don't make any effort to inform new residents that they need plates or a driver's license either. If you have a car, then part of doing your due diligence when you move is checking state and local laws about what needs to be affixed to your car. Personally I don't feel like the state or city should have to remind us about any of this crap. The reminders are nice, but unfortunately (as evidenced by these complaints) shouldn't be relied upon - even if the City gets us in that habit.

youattal

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:34:16 -0600

I asked myself that later, Navin, but I lived near the U of C at the time, where a lot of people drive in from other neighborhoods, and figured they were some sort of neighborhood permit. (Also a lot of out of state plates, etc...) On top of that, it didn't help when we asked our landlord if we needed any kind of parking permit or sticker, and he said no.

jackson93

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:16:47 -0600

I live in the Ukranian Village. My mom, sister, and grandma live on the south side. Not one of us received a renewal form. On top of that, the guy gave me a hard time about it when I went to get my sticker.

Tower18

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:11:50 -0600

I forget how I knew, but I knew when I moved here that I needed to get one. Can't remember why though. Also, I received email notices to renew my stickets this year. Screw paper.

Navin

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:03:18 -0600

I sympathize, but you didn't notice that every car in the city had a funny little sticker in the right corner of the windshield?

youattal

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:28:18 -0600

The city not sending reminder notices is crummy; the city not informing new residents they have to get stickers is crummier. After moving to the city in August and registering my vehicle in Illinois, I didn't even find out about city stickers until I was slammed with a ticket in December. As far as I could tell, there is no official effort to inform new city residents about this requirement, since license plates are the provenance of the State. But why would they, when sticker + late fee + ticket= hundreds for the city?

sonic

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:00:45 -0600

I didn't get the renewal form for my truck or my scooter and I live in Logan Square. yay me.

kaylee

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:47:42 -0600

I got mine, but my name was almost completely wrong [I have a four-letter last name; two of the letters were wrong] and the address was my old one [despite me telling them when I moved]. Go figure.

Natalia1979

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:45:12 -0600

Its not just certain communities. I live in Pilsen and I did not get mine. My friend and her entire family live near Midway and in Bridgeport and no one received their notices. I blame the city. Everyone always blames the USPS, but you know what, when I mail something in the morning to whereever, lets say Netflix, it is 9 times out of ten received the next day. Unlike city personnel, most postal workers do not get their jobs because of someone they know.

Slaphappy

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:41:43 -0600

Huh, I live in Logan Square and my wife and I got ours. Although the City Clerk's office should also consider another potential cause for the problem -- the Chicago Postal Service freakin' blows. We always get other people's mail -- next door neighbors, people who live at the same house number but a totally different street (and in a different zip code), and occasionally, a totally random Chicagoan's letter. It's ridiculous.