§ 3-56-050 — Fees - Late fees

3-56-050 Fees - Late fees.

(a) (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (a)(4) of this section, applicable annual license fees are as follows as of January 1, 2026; provided, however, that each amount set forth in this subsection (a) shall be adjusted upwards, if applicable, for the term starting on January 1, 2028, and every two years thereafter by applying to it the rate of CPI increase over the two-year period ending on the most recent July 1, calculated based on the Consumer Price Index – Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (Chicago All Items) published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, as calculated by the Comptroller, communicated to the Clerk by the Comptroller, and published by the Clerk. Such adjustment shall take place on January 1 of the applicable year, and shall apply the CPI increase, if any, as provided by the Comptroller. Provided further, that the amount of any such adjustment shall be capped at 105% of the fee being adjusted. The Comptroller’s calculation of fee adjustment shall include rounding the resulting amount to the nearest whole dollar. Vehicle | Fee Smaller passenger automobiles | $105.18 Larger passenger automobiles | $167.07 (2) The City Clerk shall maintain a list of makes and models of passenger automobiles classified as "smaller" or "larger" for the purposes of this provision. The list shall be available for public inspection at any time during the Clerk’s regular business hours. Vehicle | Fee Vehicle | Fee Smaller passenger automobiles, larger passenger automobiles or motorcycles only, not more than one such motor vehicle, registered to a person 65 years of age or older, upon satisfactory proof of age and motor vehicle ownership | $37.00 Replacement passenger wheel tax license emblem registered to a person 65 years of age or older, upon satisfactory proof of age, proof of purchase and original damaged wheel tax license emblem or police report of theft | $5.00 Antique motor vehicles | $37.14 Motorcycles or neighborhood electric vehicles | $55.69 Municipally owned vehicles | No fee Vehicles licensed to disabled veterans, purple heart veterans, or to persons who, while serving in the United States Armed Forces, were taken prisoner of war | No fee Vehicles licensed to handicapped individualsHandicapped individual means every natural person who (1) has permanently lost the use of a leg or both legs or an arm or both arms or any combination thereof or any person who is so severely disabled as to be unable to move without the aid of crutches, tripod type cane, walker or a wheelchair; and (2) has a valid disability license plate issued by the Illinois Secretary of State | No fee Tax-exempt organization-owned buses | No fee Trailers | No fee All other vehicles, including trucks, tractor-semitrailer units, motor buses and recreational vehicles: | 16,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight or less | $247.50 16,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight or less for not more than one such vehicle, registered to a person 65 years of age or older, upon satisfactory proof of age and motor vehicle ownership | $156.00 Over 16,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight | $556.92 (3) Standard Veteran License Program. Vehicle | Fee Non-commercial smaller passenger automobiles, larger passenger automobiles, small trucks, or motorcycles, not more than one motor vehicle, registered to a veteran with an Illinois Driver’s License or Illinois State Identification Card with "Veteran" designation, upon satisfactory proof of such veteran status and vehicle ownership as set forth in rules promulgated by the City Clerk | No fee Replacement passenger wheel tax license emblem registered to a veteran with an Illinois Driver’s License or Illinois State Identification Card with "Veteran" designation, upon satisfactory proof of such veteran status and vehicle ownership as set forth in rules promulgated by the City Clerk, proof of purchase, and original damaged wheel tax license emblem or police report of theft | No fee (4) By October 1 preceding a fee increase as described in (a)(1) of this section, upon consultation with the Budget Director, such fee increases may be stopped for a two-year term for fees listed for those persons of 65 years of age and older if the City Clerk determines that the increase would create undue financial hardship for those persons. The City Clerk shall submit financial projections related to the increase stoppage to the Budget Director at least 60 days in advance. (b) (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b)(2) of this section, if the applicant for a wheel tax license fails to purchase such license by the required purchase date, a late fee of $60.00 shall be assessed. Such late fee shall be in addition to the wheel tax license fee set forth in subsection (a) of this section. (2) The late fee for not more than one smaller or larger passenger automobile registered to any person 65 years of age or older, upon satisfactory proof of age and vehicle ownership, shall be reduced by an amount equal to one-half of the late fee provided in subsection (b)(1), if the wheel tax license for such vehicle is purchased after the required purchase date. Such late fee shall be in addition to the wheel tax license fee set forth in subsection (a) of this section. (3) No late fee shall be imposed under this subsection (b) if (i) the applicant obtains a wheel tax license within 30 days of commencing residence in the City, as required under Section 3-56-021(a); or (ii) the applicant obtains a wheel tax license within 30 days of purchasing or otherwise acquiring ownership of a vehicle, as required under Section 3-56-021(a); or (iii) in the case of a renewal of a wheel tax license, the applicant obtains a current wheel tax license within the grace period provided for under Section 3-56-043(a). (4) No late fee shall be imposed under this subsection (b) for any vehicle registered to an applicant who, on the required purchase date, was serving in the United States Armed Forces and stationed outside the City, if a wheel tax license is purchased for the vehicle within 30 days of the applicant's discharge from the United States Armed Forces and the applicant did not cause or permit any person to use the vehicle in violation of Section 3-56-020(a) at any time after the required purchase date and before the applicant's discharge date. (5) Upon an applicant’s showing of reasonable cause, accompanied by appropriate documentation, the City Clerk is authorized to waive any late fee that would otherwise apply to such applicant for failure to obtain a wheel tax license by the required purchase date. (c) If, pursuant to Section 3-56-040(b), the City Clerk authorizes the issuance of wheel tax licenses for more or less than an annual period, the City Clerk shall establish and administer a prorated fee schedule for such license(s). The amount of the prorated fee shall be based on the number of months for which the wheel tax license is issued. The prorated fee shall be in addition to any late fee required to be paid under subsection (b) of this section. (d) (1) Persons who obtain a wheel tax license within 30 days of purchasing or otherwise acquiring ownership of a vehicle or of commencing residence within the City shall be assessed a prorated fee for such license, as provided for in paragraph (2) of this subsection, if the applicant furnishes an affidavit, in a form satisfactory to the City Clerk and accompanied by suitable documentary proof, establishing the date of the purchase or acquisition of the vehicle or the commencement of residency. Suitable documentary proof of the date of commencement of residency shall include a lease, mortgage or title documents, or other appropriate documents. Suitable documentary proof of the date of vehicle purchase or acquisition shall include vehicle registration or title documents issued by the Secretary of State or other appropriate documents. All applicants that do not comply with the requirements for a prorated license shall be subject to a full annual license fee. (2) The amount of the prorated fee required under subsection (d)(1) of this section shall be based on the number of months for which the wheel tax license is issued, as set forth in the prorated fee schedule established by the City Clerk pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. (e) Upon consultation with the Budget Director, the City Clerk may waive late fees required by Section 3-56-050 of the Municipal Code of Chicago for those individuals who owe late fees and apply for an initial or renewal wheel tax emblem during one period of up to 31 continuous days per calendar year. The City Clerk shall submit financial projections related to the amnesty to the Budget Director at least 120 days in advance. (Prior code § 29-5; Amended. Coun. J. 5-9-84, p. 6279; 12-12-84, p. 11847; 4-18-85, p. 15174; 4-25-85, p. 15889; 3-30-88, p. 11340; 9-11-91, p. 4611; 11-22-91, p. 9188; 12-15-93, p. 43704; 6-10-96, p. 22856; Amend Coun. J. 11-10-99, p. 14998, § 3.1; Amend Coun. J.11-17-99, p. 17487, § 3.1; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-03, p. 14216, § 3.3; Amend Coun. J. 3-31-04, p. 20916, § 3.18; Amend Coun. J. 12-15-04, p. 39840, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-15-06, p. 92007, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-13-07, p. 15814, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-12-07, p. 16793, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 7-30-08, p. 34890, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 2-11-09, p. 55024, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 6-30-09, p. 65579, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-11, p. 14596, Art. IV, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 2-15-12, p. 20533, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 2-15-12, p. 20643, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 4-10-13, p. 51189, § 7; Amend Coun. J. 3-5-14, p. 75830, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 3-5-14, p. 75832, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 4-2-14, p. 77642, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-14, p. 98037, § 20; Amend Coun. J. 10-28-15, p. 11951, Art. X, § 15; Amend Coun. J. 6-22-16, p. 26610, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-14-18, p. 90376, Art. II, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 1-23-19, p. 94376, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 6-12-19, p. 1024, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 7-24-19, p. 2672, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 9-18-19, p. 4521, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 10-16-19, p. 7298, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 1-27-21, p. 26770, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 7-20-22, p. 50825, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 2-19-25, p. 24208, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 6-18-25, p. 29334, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-19-25, p. 38125, Art. I, § 3)