City announced plans to introduce legislation addressing residents’ vehicle ticket debt at the upcoming City Council meeting.  The new policies aim to change enforcement practices and provide residents with relief from City ticket debt to create a viable pathway to economic stability for residents with outstanding fines. The legislation will call for ending driver’s license suspensions for non-payment of non-moving and vehicle compliance violations, create more accessible payment plans for those experiencing financial hardship and reform city sticker penalties. The City is proposing to move forward with the following reforms:

• Reducing City Vehicle Sticker penalties: End doubling of City Sticker tickets from $200 to $400 for failure to purchase within time limit, reinstate the 15-day grace period for City Sticker tickets after expiration, and there will no longer be same-day or consecutive day ticketing for compliance violations.  City Sticker tickets will also be capped at a maximum of $250 for late failure to pay on time.

• Making payment plans more accessible: By creating a 6-month payment plan for all, lowering down payments and allowing more time to pay for persons experiencing hardship, the City will ensure pathways to compliance for paying tickets. Collectively, these reforms will give Chicago some of the most accessible ticket payment plans of any city in the nation.

• Denver boot reforms: All individuals will be able to request a 24-hour extension to pay their fines in full or get on a payment plan after being booted. The reformed payment plans will also make it easier for low-income individuals to redeem their car after it’s been booted.