Lincolnwood moves to tighten enforcement of vehicle stickers; staff to return March 16 with code amendment

The Committee of the Whole of the Village of Lincolnwood discussed a plan to shift from largely reactive enforcement of vehicle license stickers to a proactive program tied to state vehicle registration, Finance Director Elizabeth Holland told trustees on Feb. 18.

Holland said vehicle-sticker revenue last year was "about $420,000," or roughly 16% of the public works street maintenance operating budget of $2,600,000, and reported a current compliance rate of 62.4 — 7,697 stickers issued versus about 12,340 registered vehicles. "This item is being brought back for discussion," Holland said as she outlined proposed code changes to clarify who must purchase a village vehicle license.

The proposal would simplify enforcement by relying on State of Illinois registration: owners of vehicles registered to an address within Lincolnwood would be required to obtain a village license. Holland said staff worked with the village attorney and vendor Third Millennium on the approach and noted practical enforcement questions that prompted the change.

The recommended enforcement timeline includes pulling state registration data in early April, mailing applications in late May, and two penalty dates set under the FY26 annual fee resolution: July 15 (a $25 late fee) and Sept. 1 (a $50 late fee). Holland told the Committee that noncompliant registered vehicles would receive application mailings in early September; failure to obtain a license by Sept. 30 could lead to a code-violation notice and a summons to appear before an administrative hearing officer, with remaining cases scheduled for notices and hearings during October–December.

Trustees questioned how the rule would affect dealer plates, dealership inventory, loaner cars, trucking company fleets and rental vehicles. A staff member explained that dealer medallions and temporary dealer plates are not recorded the same way in state registration data, but vehicles titled to a dealer or otherwise registered to a Lincolnwood address would generate records and be subject to the proposed requirement.

Several trustees urged clear messaging and multi-channel outreach so residents do not view the change as a surprise. One trustee suggested using the business license fee to capture revenue from businesses with significant fleets, while others asked staff to gather comparative language from other municipalities before finalizing a dealer policy.

The Committee directed staff to return with draft code-amendment language on March 16, with staff and the attorney to decide whether to treat auto dealers separately while the village finalizes rules. No formal ordinance vote was taken at the Feb. 18 meeting; trustees approved routine minutes and later adjourned.

Next steps: staff will present proposed code language on March 16, and the village expects to mail vehicle-license applications in late May ahead of the 2026–27 license year.