Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot Wednesday announced that the City of Chicago will be temporarily suspending debt collection practices and non-safety related citations and impounds, as well as penalties for late payment. This penalty relief package directs a temporary suspension of late fees and defaults on payment plans, including city tickets, utility bills, parking and red-light citations, booting and other non-public safety relates violations. Additionally, there will be no new interest accumulated on current compliance plans. These measures represent the first steps of the administration’s efforts to help reduce the financial impact of COVID-19 on city residents and take effect immediately today through April 30, 2020. Other financial relief efforts include:
Ticket Issuance
• Enforcement will be prioritized for safety-related violations.
• Enforcement on compliance-related violations will be suspended until April 30, 2020
Parking, Red Light, Speed Camera Violation Collections
• Delay assessment of penalty (ticket doubling) until after April 30, 2020
• Delay driver’s license suspension until after April 30, 2020
• No Booting until after April 30, 2020
• Delay referral of tickets to collection firms until after April 30, 2020
• No defaults of payment plans for until after April 30, 2020
Utility Bills
• Extend due dates until after April 30, 2020 delaying assessment of penalties
• Delay referrals to collection firms until after April 30, 2020
• No defaults of payment plans until after April 30, 2020
Administrative Hearing Collections
• Extend due dates until after April 30, 2020 (this will delay assessment of interest)
• Delay referrals to collection firms until after April 30, 2020
• No defaults of payment plans until after April 30, 2020
Other Collection Efforts
• Extend deadline for TNP and taxi drivers to pay debt to April 30
• No debt holds on new licenses or permits
• Law firms and collection agencies will cease collection efforts.
For more information and updates on COVID-19, tune into CDPH’s “The Doctor Is In” Livestream M-F at 11am, for mobile updates, text COVID19 to 78015 or email: coronavirus@chicago.gov.
