Need to Avoid City Tickets? Village Still Offers Car Stickers

Although New Lenox stopped requiring vehicle and pet stickers last year, the village is still offering tags for people who might need them to park in other places such as Chicago.

Mayor Tim Baldermann said some residents have called recently and were confused whether they needed to purchase stickers to register their pets and cars.

Last year, the village cut car stickers and pet tags that residents once had to purchase, saving the average resident about $40 and slashing $200,000 of revenue for the village.

But some residents have said they need the stickers to show where their car is registered, primarily in Chicago. Baldermann said Chicago cops often won't run a license plate to see whether it's parked illegally and will instead just write a ticket.

"To try and get through that mess and explain yourself, it's not worth it," Baldermann said.

To help, the village purchased generic parking stickers that are good for two years. The cost is $1, which will only go toward getting back the cost of printing the stickers.