Chicago parking ticket statistics
Updated · 75 numbers, each with its date range and source
Chicago issued 5,246,241 tickets in 2025, counting parking, compliance, red-light camera and speed camera tickets. Every number below comes from the City of Chicago’s own ticket and hearing records, obtained under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, unless a different source is named next to it.
Key takeaways
- Chicago issued 5,246,241 tickets in 2025, counting parking, compliance, red-light camera and speed camera tickets. Source ↓
- 883,240 Chicago license plates got at least one ticket in 2025. Source ↓
- 546,590 ticketed Chicago plates (62%) got two or more tickets in 2025. Source ↓
- Chicago bills drivers $429.1 million a year in tickets and late penalties, counting both what was paid and what is still owed. Source ↓
- $140.5 million a year of that is late penalties added to unpaid tickets, 33% of the total. Source ↓
- Red-light and speed cameras account for $203.8 million a year, 47% of what the City bills drivers. Source ↓
- The red light camera ticket costs Chicago drivers more than any other type: $98.2 million billed a year. Source ↓
- 18% of paid Chicago tickets that could double were paid at the doubled price: 1,682,488 of 9,333,974. Source ↓
- 94% of Chicago parking tickets are never contested: only 417,495 of the 7,234,272 non-camera tickets issued in 2022–2024 had a hearing. Source ↓
- 59% of Chicago tickets contested by mail were dismissed: 169,609 of 287,532 decided cases. Source ↓
- Chicago wrote 345,562 street cleaning tickets in 2024. Source ↓
- Chicago booted an average of 48,537 vehicles a year. Source ↓
- A University of Illinois Chicago study found 475,106 Chicago parking tickets, 13.2% or more than 1 in 8, were issued in error. Source ↓
How many tickets does Chicago issue each year?
- Chicago issued 5,246,241 tickets in 2025, counting parking, compliance, red-light camera and speed camera tickets.#Calendar year 2025, complete. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for tickets issued 2018 and 2025 (FOIA F129773-022626).
- That is an average of 14,373 Chicago tickets a day.#Calendar year 2025 total divided by 365. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for tickets issued 2018 and 2025 (FOIA F129773-022626).
- 4,644,988 of the tickets Chicago issued in 2025 carried a fine; the other 601,253 carried none.#Calendar year 2025, complete. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for tickets issued 2018 and 2025 (FOIA F129773-022626).
- Another 1,770,354 of those tickets were speed camera warnings, which carry no fine.#Tickets issued 2022–2024, all three years combined. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325).
How many Chicago drivers get a ticket?
- 883,240 Chicago license plates got at least one ticket in 2025.#Calendar year 2025, complete. Plates registered to a Chicago address. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Counts of ticketed license plates, by year and by number of tickets (FOIA F136386-041726).
- That is roughly 7 in 10 of the 1,289,632 vehicles available to Chicago households.#Ticketed plates from 2025; vehicles from the 2024 Census estimate. The two are counted differently, so this is a ratio, not an exact share. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Counts of ticketed license plates, by year and by number of tickets (FOIA F136386-041726); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table B25046 (vehicles available), Chicago city.
- 546,590 ticketed Chicago plates (62%) got two or more tickets in 2025.#Calendar year 2025, complete. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Counts of ticketed license plates, by year and by number of tickets (FOIA F136386-041726).
- 39,880 Chicago plates got 11 or more tickets in 2025, and 339 got more than 50.#Calendar year 2025, complete. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Counts of ticketed license plates, by year and by number of tickets (FOIA F136386-041726).
How much money does Chicago bill drivers for tickets?
- Chicago bills drivers $429.1 million a year in tickets and late penalties, counting both what was paid and what is still owed.#Yearly average of tickets issued 2022–2024, counting payments and balances in the records the City produced in December 2025. Balances on recent tickets can still change. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325).
- $140.5 million a year of that is late penalties added to unpaid tickets, 33% of the total.#Yearly average of tickets issued 2022–2024, counting payments and balances in the records the City produced in December 2025. Balances on recent tickets can still change. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325).
- $263.1 million a year is billed to vehicles registered at a Chicago (606) ZIP code.#Yearly average of tickets issued 2022–2024, counting payments and balances in the records the City produced in December 2025. Balances on recent tickets can still change. ZIP is the registered owner’s ZIP, not where the ticket was written. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325).
- Red-light and speed cameras account for $203.8 million a year, 47% of what the City bills drivers.#Yearly average of tickets issued 2022–2024, counting payments and balances in the records the City produced in December 2025. Balances on recent tickets can still change. Includes late penalties on camera tickets. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325).
Which Chicago tickets cost drivers the most?
- The red light camera ticket costs Chicago drivers more than any other type: $98.2 million billed a year.#Yearly average of tickets issued 2022–2024, counting payments and balances in the records the City produced in December 2025. Balances on recent tickets can still change. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325).
| Ticket type | Tickets a year | Billed a year |
|---|---|---|
| Red light camera | 615,178 | $98.2M |
| Speed camera (6–10 mph over) | 1,348,149 | $68.1M |
| Expired plate / temp registration | 464,678 | $37.9M |
| Speed camera (11+ mph over) | 238,155 | $37.5M |
| No city sticker | 165,125 | $35.1M |
| Expired meter (non-CBD) | 507,182 | $30.6M |
| Street cleaning | 327,983 | $25.3M |
| Expired meter (CBD / Loop) | 215,024 | $18.5M |
| Residential permit parking | 158,523 | $15.0M |
| Parking/standing prohibited anytime | 141,508 | $13.5M |
Yearly average of tickets issued 2022–2024, counting payments and balances in the records the City produced in December 2025. Balances on recent tickets can still change. Billed includes late penalties. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325).
What happens when a Chicago ticket isn’t paid?
- 18% of paid Chicago tickets that could double were paid at the doubled price: 1,682,488 of 9,333,974.#Tickets issued 2022–2024, payments in the records the City produced in December 2025. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325).
- On Chicago tickets that can double, the average fine was $68; doubled, it averaged $131.#Tickets issued 2022–2024. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325).
- Chicago booted an average of 48,537 vehicles a year.#Yearly average, 2022–2024, complete years. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Boot counts and boot, tow and storage fee payments, 2018–2025 (FOIA F120036-111425).
- Boot, tow and storage fees averaged $134 per boot, not counting the unpaid tickets that led to it.#Fees paid in 2022–2024 divided by boots in 2022–2024. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Boot counts and boot, tow and storage fee payments, 2018–2025 (FOIA F120036-111425).
- Chicago can boot a vehicle with 3 or more unpaid tickets that have reached a final determination, or 2 that are more than a year old.#Ordinance in effect as of this update. Source: City of Chicago, Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-100-120.
How many Chicago parking tickets are contested?
- 94% of Chicago parking tickets are never contested: only 417,495 of the 7,234,272 non-camera tickets issued in 2022–2024 had a hearing.#Tickets issued 2022–2024; hearing records through the City’s November 6, 2025 export. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325); City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings, Hearing outcomes, 2019 through the November 6, 2025 export (FOIA H118909-110325).
- 98.9% of Chicago red-light and speed camera tickets are never contested.#Tickets issued 2022–2024; hearing records through the City’s November 6, 2025 export. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325); City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings, Hearing outcomes, 2019 through the November 6, 2025 export (FOIA H118909-110325).
- Across every Chicago ticket type, cameras included, 96.8% of tickets are never contested.#Tickets issued 2022–2024; hearing records through the City’s November 6, 2025 export. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325); City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings, Hearing outcomes, 2019 through the November 6, 2025 export (FOIA H118909-110325).
How often do people win a Chicago ticket contest?
- 59% of Chicago tickets contested by mail were dismissed: 169,609 of 287,532 decided cases.#Tickets issued 2023–2025 with a Liable or Not Liable decision in the City’s November 6, 2025 hearings export. 2025 tickets decided after that date are not included. Source: City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings, Hearing outcomes, 2019 through the November 6, 2025 export (FOIA H118909-110325).
- In-person hearings on Chicago tickets ended in dismissal 68% of the time (76,573 of 113,401).#Tickets issued 2023–2025 with a Liable or Not Liable decision in the City’s November 6, 2025 hearings export. 2025 tickets decided after that date are not included. Source: City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings, Hearing outcomes, 2019 through the November 6, 2025 export (FOIA H118909-110325).
- Video hearings ended in dismissal the same 68% of the time (24,441 of 35,967).#Tickets issued 2023–2025 with a Liable or Not Liable decision in the City’s November 6, 2025 hearings export. 2025 tickets decided after that date are not included. Source: City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings, Hearing outcomes, 2019 through the November 6, 2025 export (FOIA H118909-110325).
- The most common reason a mailed expired-plate contest was dismissed was “Affirmative Compliance Defense,” recorded 23,992 times.#Tickets issued 2023–2025 with a Liable or Not Liable decision in the City’s November 6, 2025 hearings export. 2025 tickets decided after that date are not included. Source: City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings, Hearing outcomes, 2019 through the November 6, 2025 export (FOIA H118909-110325).
- The same reason led for mailed city-sticker contests, recorded 12,795 times.#Tickets issued 2023–2025 with a Liable or Not Liable decision in the City’s November 6, 2025 hearings export. 2025 tickets decided after that date are not included. Source: City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings, Hearing outcomes, 2019 through the November 6, 2025 export (FOIA H118909-110325).
- 23% of lost mailed city-sticker contests (1,237 of 5,483) were recorded as “Failed to Select one of the Codified Defenses.”#Tickets issued 2023–2025 with a Liable or Not Liable decision in the City’s November 6, 2025 hearings export. 2025 tickets decided after that date are not included. Source: City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings, Hearing outcomes, 2019 through the November 6, 2025 export (FOIA H118909-110325).
| Ticket type | Dismissed by mail | Decided cases |
|---|---|---|
| Expired plates | 87% | 51,667 |
| No city sticker | 79% | 26,253 |
| Expired meter | 68% | 87,133 |
| Disabled parking zone | 61% | 2,673 |
| Commercial loading zone | 56% | 4,969 |
| Double parking (small sample) | 52% | 1,032 |
| Parking in an alley (small sample) | 51% | 1,654 |
| Residential permit parking | 49% | 17,042 |
| No standing or parking, time restricted | 46% | 8,520 |
| Missing or noncompliant plate | 45% | 12,289 |
| Bus stop | 40% | 1,224 |
| Parking or standing prohibited | 40% | 9,666 |
| Bike lane (small sample) | 34% | 785 |
| Bus lane (small sample) | 32% | 216 |
| Red-light camera | 28% | 15,569 |
| Fire hydrant | 27% | 2,587 |
| Rush-hour parking | 26% | 2,597 |
| Street cleaning | 25% | 18,169 |
| Speed camera | 21% | 16,604 |
Tickets issued 2023–2025 with a Liable or Not Liable decision in the City’s November 6, 2025 hearings export. 2025 tickets decided after that date are not included. Types with fewer than 100 decided cases are left out. Source: City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings, Hearing outcomes, 2019 through the November 6, 2025 export (FOIA H118909-110325).
Drivers choose how to contest, and people with stronger cases may be more likely to show up to a hearing. The gap between methods does not show that a hearing would win any given ticket. The City records online (eContest) contests as mail.
How many street cleaning tickets does Chicago write?
- Chicago wrote 345,562 street cleaning tickets in 2024.#Calendar year 2024, complete. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325).
- The fine for a Chicago street cleaning ticket is $60, and it doubles to $120 if it goes unpaid.#2,334,867 of the 2,336,517 street cleaning tickets issued 2018–2025 carried that fine; the rest were billed $30 or $50. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325); City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for tickets issued 2018 and 2025 (FOIA F129773-022626).
- 22.1% of 2024 street cleaning tickets (76,236) were still unpaid, in the City’s notice stage.#Tickets issued in 2024; status in the records the City produced in December 2025. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325).
- 7.9% of 2024 street cleaning tickets were dismissed.#Tickets issued in 2024; status in the records the City produced in December 2025. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325).
- Drivers had paid $16.8M on 2024 street cleaning tickets, and $10.1M was still owed, late penalties included.#Tickets issued in 2024; payments and balances in the records the City produced in December 2025. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325).
- Ward 1 got more street cleaning tickets than any other Chicago ward in 2024: 12,180.#Calendar year 2024. The City’s ward table totals 20 fewer tickets than its ticket-level records. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for tickets issued 2018 and 2025 (FOIA F129773-022626).
| Ward | Tickets |
|---|---|
| Ward 1 | 12,180 |
| Ward 46 | 11,965 |
| Ward 26 | 11,921 |
| Ward 35 | 10,618 |
| Ward 28 | 10,441 |
| Ward 43 | 10,330 |
| Ward 15 | 10,243 |
| Ward 25 | 10,239 |
Calendar year 2024. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for tickets issued 2018 and 2025 (FOIA F129773-022626).
Are Chicago parking tickets ever written in error?
- A University of Illinois Chicago study found 475,106 Chicago parking tickets, 13.2% or more than 1 in 8, were issued in error.#Tickets issued Aug 2012 – May 2018. The university’s analysis, not ours. Source: University of Illinois Chicago, Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, “475,106 Mistakes: The Cost of Erroneous Parking Tickets,” May 10, 2022.
What records are these statistics based on?
- These statistics draw on 35,732,608 Chicago ticket records, every ticket issued from January 2018 through December 2025.#Counted 2026-09-11. Source: City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for every ticket issued 2019–2024 (FOIA F118906-110325); City of Chicago Department of Finance, Ticket-level records for tickets issued 2018 and 2025 (FOIA F129773-022626).
- They also draw on 3,066,667 Chicago contest-hearing records.#Hearings on tickets issued 2012 through the November 6, 2025 export. Counted 2026-09-11. Source: City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings, Hearing outcomes, 2019 through the November 6, 2025 export (FOIA H118909-110325); City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings, Hearing outcomes for tickets issued 2012–2018 (FOIA H150277-083126).
How to cite these statistics
Link to a single number with the # next to it. Please cite the page and, where you can, the City record named under the number.
Autopilot America. “Chicago Parking Ticket Statistics.” Updated September 12, 2026. https://www.autopilotamerica.com/chicago-parking-ticket-statistics. Based on City of Chicago Department of Finance and Department of Administrative Hearings records obtained under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
Download every statistic as a CSV (one row per number, with its period, source and link). The raw ticket and hearing files are on our data sources page.
Autopilot America publishes this page and sells a service that contests Chicago tickets and pays them before they double. These numbers describe all Chicago tickets, not our customers’ results.
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