Issuance.
Municipal Code of Chicago § 3-56-040
in effect3-56-040 Issuance.
(a) Upon payment by the applicant of the wheel tax license fee hereinafter provided, the City Clerk shall issue, or cause to be issued, a wheel tax license. The period for a wheel tax license shall begin on the required purchase date and shall end on the last day of the month indicated on the face of such license. Provided, however, that if a wheel tax license is issued before the required purchase date, such license shall be valid upon its issuance. Provided further, that in the case of renewal of a valid and current wheel tax license only, the applicable period shall include the grace periods specified in Section 3-56-043.
(b) The City Clerk shall make wheel tax licenses available for an annual period. Provided that in the case of renewal of an existing wheel tax license issued pursuant to the staggered system authorized under Section 3-56-015, the City Clerk may offer applicants for a wheel tax license the option, as provided for in duly promulgated rules, to purchase such license for a period of up to two years. If a wheel tax license is issued or renewed for more or less than an annual period, the fee for such license shall be prorated in accordance with Section 3-56-050(c).
(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Chapter to the contrary, a pilot program shall be established for qualified veterans pursuant to the following:*
(1) A qualified veteran who has an unexpired State ID or driver’s license with a specified expiration date may receive a new, amended or renewed wheel tax license issued under the Standard Veteran License Program upon an in-person or online submission of satisfactory proof of such veteran status and vehicle ownership as set forth in rules promulgated by the City Clerk;
(2) A qualified veteran who has an unexpired State ID or driver’s license with no specified expiration date (i.e.: 99/99/9999) shall continue to provide proof of veteran status and vehicle ownership in-person as set forth in rules promulgated by the City Clerk for all new, amended, or renewed wheel tax licenses issued under the Standard Veteran License Program;
(3) The pilot program shall expire and be terminated without further action on December 31, 2027, at which point the ability of the Office of the City Clerk to bring the Standard Veteran License Program fully online shall be examined.
(Prior code § 29-4; Amend Coun. J. 9-13-06, p. 84345, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-12-07, p. 16793, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 1-13-09, p. 52800, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 2-15-12, p. 20533, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 4-10-13, p. 51189, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 3-5-14, p. 75832, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 4-2-14, p. 77557, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-14, p. 98037, § 20; Amend Coun. J. 6-22-16, p. 26610, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-16, p. 37901, Art. III, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-14-18, p. 90376, Art. II, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 9-18-19, p. 4521, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 2-18-26, p. 40425, § 1)
* Editor’s note – Pursuant to Coun. J. 2-18-26, p. 40425, § 2, subsection (c) is effective May 17, 2026.
Source: City of Chicago, Municipal Code of Chicago (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2608118Fetched: 10/24/2026