Chicago parking ticket · MCC 9-12-060
Bus Laneticket in Chicago: cost & how to fight it
A bus lane ticket is issued for standing, parking, or driving in a designated bus-only lane.
How to fight a bus lane ticket
Bus-lane hours and signage are reviewable, and whether the vehicle was actually in the restricted lane during restricted hours is fact-specific.
You can contest any Chicago parking ticket in one of three ways: by mail, online through the City's portal, or in person at an administrative hearing. Contesting by mail is how Autopilot does it — and across the City's own 2023–2025 hearing data, mailed bus lane contests were dismissed 32% of the time.
Let Autopilot fight it for you
Autopilot watches your plate, catches a bus lane ticket within days of it posting, builds the appeal with the right evidence attached, and mails it — before the fine has a chance to double. It also alerts you before street cleaning, snow bans, and permit/meter enforcement on your block so the next one never happens.
Get started →Bus Lane ticket FAQ
How much is a bus lane ticket in Chicago?
A bus lane ticket under MCC 9-12-060 is $90. If it isn't paid or contested in time, the fine doubles to $180 — a $90 late penalty.
Can you fight a bus lane ticket in Chicago?
Yes. You can contest it by mail or online. Bus-lane hours and signage are reviewable, and whether the vehicle was actually in the restricted lane during restricted hours is fact-specific. Across mailed, decided cases from 2023–2025, 32% of bus lane contests were found Not Liable (216 decided cases).
What happens if I ignore a bus lane ticket?
The $90 fine doubles to $180. Unpaid tickets can lead to license-plate holds and, after enough debt, a vehicle boot.
Other Chicago ticket types
Fines from the City of Chicago fine schedule (MCC 9-12-060). Dismissal rate is mail-only, decided cases (Not Liable ÷ decided), tickets issued 2023–2025, from Department of Finance / DOAH records obtained by FOIA. Not legal advice.