Parking Enforcement

Parking Enforcement Officers are responsible for maintaining traffic safety by enforcing parking laws, removing vehicles obstructing the roadway, and impounding abandoned vehicles. Parking Clerks process parking tickets issued, collect payments, and schedule any appeals.

The Parking Division hours:
Monday- Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm
Phone- 708-366-7272

When calling, please have your relevant information ready. This would include a ticket or citation number, your license plate number, or other reference information that would help us address your issue.

I need to park my car on the street overnight, what do I do?
If your car is otherwise legally parked (i.e. not in a handicapped, fire lane, or otherwise obstructing traffic), you can get permission to park on the street overnight by calling 708-366-7272 between the hours of 8:00 pm and 2:00 am. Each license plate is granted five (5) night parking passes per month. Person’s with a valid handicapped placard or license plates are exempt from this and may park on the street without calling their car.

Submit online form for overnight parking pass here

If you need more than one night in a row (breakdown, construction, out of town guest), please call the Parking Division during regular business hours listed above.

Additionally, there is no parking on the 7400 block of Washington on Thursdays from 2am – 5am April 1 through November 1. This is due to street cleaning.

How do I pay a parking citation? 
You can pay your parking ticket several ways:
• You can pay in person using cash, a personal check or money order, or using credit/debit card during business hours
• You can pay on-line by clicking here
• You can send your check or money order (do not send cash), to:

Forest Park Police Department
Attn: Parking Division
517 Desplaines Ave.
Forest Park, IL 60130

When paying a ticket, please have access to the citation number and/or the license plate on the vehicle that received the citation.

How do I contest a citation?
Forest Park residents can contest a parking citation by attending the parking hearing indicated on your ticket. Parking hearings are scheduled for the fourth (4th) Wednesday of each month at 8:30am. The hearings are held in the lower level of the Police Station.

If you are unable to attend the hearing you may send a written statement contesting your ticket(s) 24 hours prior to your scheduled court appearance to mmflanagan@forestpark.net

I missed my initial parking citation hearing date, now what?
If you miss your court date, you will receive a letter in the mail from the parking division. The letter will indicate your new hearing date and time. Please note you may be subject to late penalties in addition to your original parking citation fine.

Can I park on the street when it snows?
After a snow fall of two inches (2″) or more, it shall be unlawful for any person to stop, stand or leave standing at any time a motor vehicle, attended or unattended, on that portion of any street designated by the village council as a snow route and posted as a snow route by appropriate signage.

My car was booted, now what? 
Illinois State law allows municipalities to immobilize (i.e. boot) vehicles with more than five (5) outstanding parking tickets where the registered owner was found liable for the citations. If your vehicle has been immobilized, please contact the police department at 708-366-2425 within 72 hours. Once 72 hours has passed, your car will be towed.

In order to have the “boot” removed, you can pay the outstanding amount in full plus the $100.00 vehicle immobilization fee. Alternatively, you can request a hearing to contest the validity of the immobilization. Please contact the Traffic Compliance Administrator to review your case.

How do I park in the Village parking lots? 
Each parking lot may have different rules and permits that apply so please carefully check the signs at each lot for further clarification. Motorists can park in one of the Village owned parking lots one of three ways:

• Pay the meter
• Pay the collection box
• Valid parking permit

Not all lots have all three options so please pay specific attention to the signs in each lot. The payment collection box accepts cash or credit cards and requires a parking space number. The machine will provide you a receipt. While that receipt is not required for the space, it may be necessary if you inadvertently receive a parking ticket.

Parking spaces with a red top meter/sign are restricted for permit parking during the overnight hours.

Parking permits are sold through the Village Clerk’s Office during regular business hours. Otherwise, parking permits are available as follows.

I want to take the CTA train, what parking is available?
Blue Line parking is available west of Desplaines Ave on both the north and south sides of the CTA terminal. The Village of Forest Park only manages the parking lots directly north of the terminal. There are three pay boxes in the parking lot. You must pay for the specific stall your car is parked in. If you enter the wrong parking space number, you may receive a ticket.

The parking lots west and south of the terminal, and the parking lot south of the Eisenhower Expressway, are managed by private companies. These companies will tow your car if it’s in violation (i.e. you don’t pay) so please see the signs in each lot for further information. Also, the pay box receipts are not interchangeable and only apply to the lot they are in. If you pay the pay box on the north side, you cannot legally park on the south side.

Green Line parking is limited in the area. There are several metered spaces to the west of Harlem. The Village of Oak Park has several parking lots available east of Harlem, on both the north and south sides of the elevated train.

For additional information on train schedules and other CTA information, please visit the CTA’s website – www.transitchicago.com