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City reports early compliance after Habitual Parking Violator ordinance; nearly 1,000 owners made arrangements

Milwaukee Common Council Public Safety & Health Committee · January 29, 2026

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Summary

DPW reported that after mailing 28,874 notices and starting limited towing in January, nearly 1,000 vehicle owners either paid citations or set up payment plans; the department said towing remains a last resort and will work with municipal courts and vendors to refine tracking and enforcement.

The Department of Public Works on Tuesday gave the Public Safety & Health Committee an early implementation update on the Habitual Parking Violator ordinance, which identifies plate owners with five or more citations over 60 days past due and allows towing even when the vehicle is legally parked.

Peter Knox, Parking Services Manager, said DPW mailed 28,874 letters during the 60-day moratorium to educate owners about payment plans and court options. During that initial pause DPW recorded 455 vehicle owners paying a total of 1,172 citations, totaling about $102,515, Knox reported. After towing began in early January (soft rollout beginning Jan. 3) the department saw another 531 citizens pay 2,111 citations in January alone, bringing the short-term total of owners who made arrangements to roughly 986.

Knox said towing remains a last resort and stressed outreach and payment options. He described tow‑lot procedures that allow people whose vehicles were towed to pay outstanding citations at the toll window, retrieve their vehicles and be directed to municipal court if they prefer a hearing. As of the morning of the meeting DPW reported 304 tows; of those who appeared at the toll lot roughly 122 paid citations at the lot and 110 elected a court date.

Committee members asked for more granular follow-up reporting, including the number of people who miss court dates and are retowed, age of outstanding debts (how much is 5–7 years old), and the distribution of plate owners versus plates no longer in use. Knox said DPW can provide those breakdowns and that the department is building vendor reports to automate monitoring.

What’s next: The committee moved to hold the item to the call of the chair for a future update with more detailed metrics; members indicated interest in revenue and recidivism metrics as monitoring continues.

Sources: Department of Public Works presentation and Peter Knox Q&A during the committee meeting.