If an Illinois household-goods mover will not fix a bill or a damage claim, write the company and keep the reply. The Illinois Commerce Commission takes mover complaints through its transportation division. The complaint form has a type labeled Household Goods. Mail it, with copies of your papers, to ICC Police, 9511 Harrison Street, Des Plaines, IL 60016.

The Commission's website also offers an online household-goods complaint. A phone call to ask whether a rate is on file is not the complaint. The rate desk is 217-782-6448. The complaint is the form.

What should I gather?

The form asks for your name, phone, email, and address, the company's name, address, and phone, the date and address of the incident, and a description. Attach the estimate, the bill, the bill of lading, photos, and the letter you already sent. Keep originals. The 2026 consumer guide says you can also ask the ICC how many complaints are already on a carrier before you hire. After the move, your own file is what makes a new complaint specific.

Name the company the way it appears on the ICC license, not a nickname from an ad. If you never checked the license, look it up before you file so the form names the right entity. See how the license search works.

What belongs in the description?

Say whether the fight is the price or the damage. For a price, state the estimate, the final bill, what you paid at delivery, and what is still demanded. ICC staff say that if the final amount exceeds the estimate, only 110 percent of the estimated charges is due at the end of the move and the customer has 30 days to pay the rest. See that rule. If the invoice uses a rate you cannot find in the tariff, say so. Staff at 217-782-6448 can verify rates on file. They also say final hourly charges follow actual time.

For damage, quote the valuation line. The default is 60 cents per pound per article unless you paid for a higher value. See how that election works. Asking the Commission to order replacement cost when you released the goods at 60 cents asks for a result the bill of lading does not give. Ask the Commission to look at whether the choice was offered and whether the bill matched the tariff.

Which office is the wrong one?

The Department of Insurance takes written complaints about policies. A mover's tariff is not that filing. Consumer Assistance at the Department of Insurance is (866) 445-5364 for insurance questions. See the insurance complaint only if a homeowners or auto policy is the contract in dispute.

A move that crossed into another state is an FMCSA complaint at 1-888-368-7238. The Illinois form is for the move the ICC regulates. If both addresses are in Illinois, use the household-goods box. If one address is not, say that in the first lines so the file is not opened under the wrong statute. Hourly rates in the seven Chicago-area counties and weight rates on longer Illinois moves are explained in how the state splits those prices.

What the form is not

The form is a complaint to the regulator. It does not appoint the Commission as your lawyer, and it does not unload a truck the same afternoon. Pay 110 percent of a disputed in-state estimate if that is what staff describe as due at delivery, get a receipt, and put the rest of the story on the form. Do not staple a demand that the Commission "make them pay $4,000" on top of a 60-cent release without showing the valuation you actually bought.

What should the first paragraph of the form say?

Write the pickup address, the delivery address, the move date, and the license name. Then one sentence on the dollar dispute or the damaged item. The form's type list also includes towing, repossession, warehousing, and motor carrier. Household goods is the box for this move. Warehousing is a different box if the fight is storage after the truck unloaded. Say which one it is so the file is not bounced. Attach the tariff page if you have it, or write that you called 217-782-6448 and what the staff person said about the rate on file. A complaint that only says "I was overcharged" is harder to match to a tariff line than one that names the hourly rate, the hours, and the estimate.

FAQ

Where do I mail a paper complaint? ICC Police, 9511 Harrison Street, Des Plaines, IL 60016, with copies of the supporting papers. Mark the type Household Goods.

Is there an online option? Yes. The ICC household-goods page links an online complaint, and the complaints page points transportation complaints about movers to that division.

Can staff check the rate while I write the form? Call 217-782-6448. They can verify rates on file. The complaint is still the written form.

Should I complain to the Department of Insurance about the bill? No, unless an insurance policy is what you are disputing. Mover rates and the license are the ICC.

What if the truck went to Indiana? Say so. A cross-border household move is an FMCSA matter. Use 1-888-368-7238 for that route.

Next step

Write the mover, save the answer, and file the ICC form with the estimate and the bill of lading. Use the legal name from the license search. Call 217-782-6448 if you need the tariff page checked before you describe the rate as wrong.

Sources: ICC: household goods movers, ICC transportation complaint form, ICC Police: household goods questions, ICC: file a complaint.

Illinois prices a household move in one of two ways, and the Illinois Commerce Commission says which one applies. A move of less than 50 miles, or a move entirely inside Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties, may be charged by the number of workers and the hours to load, haul, and unload.

A move of more than 50 miles outside those counties is charged on the weight of the shipment and the distance. Both methods use the tariff the mover filed with the ICC. The cheapest hourly rate is not the cheapest move. The bill uses actual time and the number of people on the job.

Which trips are hourly?

Read the guide's "or." Under 50 miles can be hourly even if you leave the seven counties, as long as the distance stays under that line. A move that stays inside those seven counties can be hourly even if the odometer is longer, because the guide says "or entirely within" that list. Chicago to Naperville is inside the list. A move from a collar county to Rockford needs a map: if it is over 50 miles and it leaves the seven counties, the guide puts it on weight and distance.

Ask the estimator to write the method on the estimate. "Local rate" is not a method. The number of workers and the size of the truck belong on that paper too. Stairs, an elevator, and a long carry are the details the guide says to explain, because they change the hours.

What does weight-and-distance mean for you?

On the longer moves, the bill follows the weight of what was loaded and how far it went, at the tariff rate. You cannot audit that with a glance at a clock. Ask how the shipment will be weighed and ask for the weight ticket. A guess at "about 4,000 pounds" is the number to replace with the ticket before you pay a weight-based bill. The estimate is still not binding. If the charges exceed it, ICC staff say you pay 110 percent at delivery and have 30 days for the balance. See that payment rule.

You can confirm a rate by asking for the tariff page and calling the ICC at 217-782-6448. Staff can verify what is on file. They will also tell you that the final hourly bill depends on actual time. A confirmed rate and a long day are both possible.

What does the license have to do with the rate?

Only a licensed household-goods mover may charge these tariff rates for a for-hire move. The license, the insurance filing, and the tariff are ICC requirements. See how to check the license. A company that will not show a tariff page is asking you to compare a number you cannot verify. Get a second written estimate from a company that will.

Liability is independent of the hourly or weight math. The default release is 60 cents per pound per article unless you pay for more. See the 60-cent rule. A low hourly rate with a 60-cent release can be the expensive outcome if a dresser is smashed.

What if the address is across the state line?

These two Illinois methods are the Commission's description of moves it regulates. A delivery in another state is an FMCSA shipment. The federal non-binding estimate has its own 110 percent rule at delivery. Do not assume a Chicago hourly tariff follows the truck to Milwaukee. Ask the company which authority the estimate is written under, and match the license to that answer.

What do I compare on two estimates?

Put the two companies' papers side by side and mark the method, the crew size, the truck size, and the rate. An hourly estimate that assumes two people for four hours is not comparable to an hourly estimate that assumes three people for six hours, even when the hourly rate looks lower. A weight-and-distance estimate that leaves the pounds blank is not comparable to one that shows a weight from a walk-through. Ask each company to price the same inventory. The guide's warning is that the lowest hourly rate does not guarantee the least expensive move, because the bill uses actual time. Add the valuation choice to the comparison. A cheap hour with a 60-cent release can cost more after one broken piece than a higher hour with a declared value you paid for.

FAQ

Is a move inside Cook County charged by the hour? The guide says moves entirely inside Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will may be based on workers and hours.

Is 40 miles always hourly? The guide says moves of less than 50 miles may be charged that way. Ask the estimator to name the method on your paper.

Does the lowest hourly rate win? No. The guide says the lowest hourly rate does not guarantee the least expensive move, because the bill uses actual time and the crew size.

Who confirms the tariff? You may see it at the mover or at the ICC, and you can call 217-782-6448 to confirm the page on file.

Does weight-and-distance change the 60-cent valuation? No. Valuation is a separate election on the bill of lading.

Next step

Write down both addresses and the miles. Ask the mover which of the two ICC methods applies, and get that sentence on the estimate with the tariff page attached. Call 217-782-6448 if the rate on the bill is not the rate you were shown.

Sources: ICC 2026 consumer guide, ICC Police: household goods questions.

An Illinois household-goods mover is not liable for the full value of your property unless you pay an extra charge for that protection. The Illinois Commerce Commission's 2026 consumer guide says rates are based on 60 cents per pound per article.

If you release the goods at that level, the bill of lading has to say "60 cents per pound per article" or a total lump-sum value. A higher lump sum counts only if you paid the valuation charge. Otherwise you are treated as having chosen 60 cents. Carry jewelry, cash, documents, and medicine yourself. The ICC says movers have no additional liability for those items unless they are noted on the bill of lading.

What does 60 cents pay?

The guide's rule is per article, by weight. A 20-pound lamp released at 60 cents a pound is a $12 claim if it is destroyed. The replacement price does not enter the math. ICC Police describe the same choice another way: selecting the minimum of 60 cents per pound is the cheaper rate. If you declare a value, for example $10,000, an additional charge applies, and the mover is liable to repair the item or to settle at a depreciated value, whichever is less.

Insurance you buy from a third party is a different contract. The Police FAQ says a certificate of insurance is then in your records. That certificate is not the line on the bill of lading. Read both. A mover who says the load is "fully insured" has not told you whether you are at 60 cents, at a declared value, or on your own policy.

What has to be written down?

The consumer guide says the written estimate should include the mover's liability for loss or damage, and that you receive a signed copy. On the bill of lading, the election has to be stated. If you wanted a lump sum and you did not pay the charge, the guide says you are deemed to have elected 60 cents per pound per article. Do not initial a higher number you have not paid for and expect it to survive. Ask the driver to point at the sentence before you sign.

High-value items that do ride on the truck should be noted on the bill of lading. Items the Police FAQ tells you to carry are jewelry, money, documents, and medication. A carton of those, unlabeled, is the loss the FAQ is warning you about.

How does this sit next to the price of the move?

The estimate is not binding. If the bill exceeds it, you pay 110 percent at delivery and have 30 days for the rest. That payment rule does not raise the valuation. See the 110 percent rule. The company still needs an ICC household-goods license and a filed tariff. See how to check the license. Whether the job is priced by the hour or by weight does not change the 60-cent default. See hourly rates versus weight.

What if something breaks?

Note the damage before you sign the delivery papers. Tell the company in writing and keep the article if an adjuster needs to see it. If the company will not answer, file with the ICC and attach the bill of lading so the valuation line is in the file. See the ICC complaint. A homeowners or renters policy may or may not cover goods on a truck. Ask your agent in writing. That question is separate from the 60-cent release you signed with the mover.

A move that crosses a state line uses the federal full-value rule unless you waive it. Do not carry an Illinois 60-cent habit into that waiver without reading it.

How do I price the choice before moving day?

List the five heaviest or most expensive pieces and their approximate weights. Multiply each weight by 60 cents. If that total is acceptable, the release is a known number. If it is not, ask the mover what the extra valuation charge is for a lump sum you choose, and ask your own insurer whether the homeowners or renters policy covers goods on a for-hire truck. Get both answers before loading. A decision made while the truck is idling is how people initial 60 cents to "just get going." The guide says the lump sum is effective only when the charge is paid. Budget the charge in the same conversation as the hourly rate or the weight rate.

FAQ

Is 60 cents per pound the law for every Illinois move? The consumer guide says mover's rates are based on 60 cents per pound per article unless you pay for a higher released value. The bill of lading is where your election is written.

I wrote $10,000 on the form. Am I covered for $10,000? Only if you paid the valuation charge. If you did not, the guide says you elected 60 cents per pound per article.

Should jewelry go on the truck? The ICC says to carry jewelry, money, documents, and medication. Movers are not additionally liable for those unless they are noted on the bill of lading.

Is a declared value the same as replacement cost? ICC Police say a declared valuation is settled at repair or at depreciated value, whichever is less. Read the form for the words you are buying.

Who do I call about a denied damage claim? The mover first, in writing. Then the ICC household-goods complaint, with the bill of lading attached.

Next step

Before loading, decide whether 60 cents a pound is enough and pay the extra charge if it is not. Write the choice on the bill of lading. Put jewelry, cash, papers, and medicine in the car you are driving.

Sources: ICC 2026 consumer guide, ICC Police: household goods questions.

An estimate from an Illinois household-goods mover is not binding. The Illinois Commerce Commission's 2026 consumer guide says it is a general idea of the cost under normal conditions, and the bill follows the service actually performed: what moved, the weight, the distance, the workers, and the hours.

If the final charges exceed the estimate, ICC staff say you pay 110 percent of the estimated charges at the end of the move and have 30 days to pay the rest. The 110 percent figure changes what is due at the truck. It does not cap the tariff. You still owe the filed rates for the work that was done.

What has to be on the estimate?

A licensed mover must give you a free written estimate of the probable cost. Get it before the move starts. The guide says the estimate should state what you decided to move, the other services, including how many employees and what size vehicle the job needs, and the mover's liability for loss or damage. You get a signed copy. The estimator should see everything, including the basement, attic, and garage, and should hear about stairs or an elevator at the destination.

The estimate is based on what you told the mover or on an in-home look by the company's staff. If the inventory changes, the hours and the price can change. A box you added in the driveway is part of that sentence. Show the whole house the first time so the 110 percent conversation is about the tariff, not about a room nobody walked through.

How do I check the rate?

All rates are in the tariff filed with the ICC. You may see that page at the mover's office or at the Commission. Call 217-782-6448 and a staff member can verify the rates on file. The same office is the one that explains the 110 percent collection at delivery and the 30 days for the balance. Final charges still depend on the actual time. A verified hourly rate does not freeze the number of hours.

Local jobs and long jobs use different math. Under 50 miles, or entirely inside Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will, the price may be workers and hours. Farther out, it is weight and distance. See which calculation applies. The license check is in how to confirm the ICC license.

What should I do at delivery?

Bring the signed estimate. If the bill is higher, pay 110 percent of the estimate and ask for the balance in writing with the 30-day date. Get a receipt for what you paid that day. Do not sign a blank paper that says the shipment arrived in perfect condition if you have not looked. Damage claims use the valuation on the bill of lading, often 60 cents per pound per article unless you bought more. See that valuation.

A move that leaves Illinois does not use this state page as its release rule. Federal rules have their own 110 percent tender for a non-binding interstate estimate. Ask which paper the driver is holding before you quote the Illinois 30 days to a crew headed out of state.

What if the number still looks wrong?

Write the company and keep the estimate, the bill, and the tariff page. Then file with the ICC. The transportation complaint form has a box for household goods. Mail goes to ICC Police, 9511 Harrison Street, Des Plaines, IL 60016, with copies of the papers. See how to file that complaint. An insurance complaint with the Department of Insurance is the wrong desk unless a policy, not the mover's tariff, is the dispute.

How do I write down the 110 percent math?

On the back of your estimate copy, write the estimate total, 110 percent of that total, the amount you handed over, the time, and the name of the person who took it. If the bill is $2,000 and the estimate was $1,500, 110 percent of the estimate is $1,650 due at delivery, and the other $350 is the balance the ICC describes as payable within 30 days. Use your own numbers. The example is arithmetic, not a rate. Ask for the balance on a company invoice that cites the tariff, not a cash figure with no paper. If the crew wants more than 110 percent before they will finish unloading, pay the 110 percent you can document and put the refusal in the complaint. Do not sign away the damage notes to get the door open.

FAQ

Is the written estimate a cap? No. The 2026 guide says an estimate is not binding and you pay the tariff for the service performed.

What do I have to pay before they finish unloading? ICC staff say 110 percent of the estimated charges. The rest is due within 30 days if the bill is higher.

Can the ICC check the hourly rate? Yes. Call 217-782-6448. Staff can verify the rates on file. They cannot turn an estimate into a guaranteed price.

Does adding boxes on moving day change the bill? Yes. The Commission says changes to the inventory can change the estimated hours and the actual time.

Does this 30-day balance apply to a move to Wisconsin? Use the federal rule for a move that crosses the state line. This page is the ICC's description of an Illinois household-goods job.

Next step

Get the signed estimate while the estimator is still in the house. On delivery, pay 110 percent if the bill is higher, take a receipt, and calendar the 30 days for the balance. Call 217-782-6448 if the rate on the invoice is not the rate in the tariff.

Sources: ICC 2026 consumer guide, ICC Police: household goods questions.

Any person or business that hauls household property for hire inside Illinois must hold a Household Goods License from the Illinois Commerce Commission. The company also has to file a tariff, which is its list of services and prices, and keep valid insurance on file with the ICC.

The governing law is the Illinois Commercial Transportation Law, 625 ILCS 5/18c-1101 and the sections that follow, plus the household-goods rules at 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1457. A truck with a logo is not the license. Look the company up before you accept an estimate.

What does the license require of the company?

The ICC's compliance list for household-goods carriers includes insurance on file, a tariff on file, an annual report by May 15, cab cards purchased by December 31, current contact information, and, when the company is an LLC or a corporation, filings with the Secretary of State. Equipment leases, if the carrier uses them, are filed too. A company that also crosses state lines registers with Unified Carrier Registration. That federal registration does not replace the Illinois license for the miles that stay inside the state.

You can check status in the ICC's motor-carrier search. The consumer page also links "Find a Licensed Household Goods Mover" and the 2026 consumer guide. The Commission’s offices are the Leland Building, 527 East Capitol Avenue, Springfield, IL 62701, and the Bilandic Building, 160 North LaSalle Street, Suite C-800, Chicago, IL 60601. Questions about cab cards and the transportation portal go to 217-782-4654, option 7.

What should I do before I book?

The 2026 consumer guide says most fights are about the estimate or about liability for lost and damaged goods. An estimate is not binding. Get a free written estimate from more than one licensed mover, and get it before the truck arrives, not on the curb. The estimator should see the basement, the attic, and the garage. The signed copy you keep should list what is moving, the services, the number of workers, the size of the vehicle, and the liability you chose.

Rates live in the tariff filed with the ICC. You can ask to see the tariff page at the mover's office or at the Commission, then call the ICC to confirm that page is on file and in effect. The guide says not to hire on the lowest estimate alone. Ask the ICC and the Better Business Bureau how many complaints are on the name, and visit the warehouse if you can. See what you pay when the bill beats the estimate and the 60-cent valuation.

How are local prices built?

For a move under 50 miles, or a move entirely inside Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties, the guide says charges may be based on the number of workers and the hours to load, move, and unload. Over 50 miles, and outside those counties, charges are based on weight and distance. The lowest hourly rate is not the cheapest move if the job runs long. See which method applies to your route.

What if the delivery address is in another state?

The ICC license and the Illinois tariff cover household goods moved for hire under Illinois authority. A move that crosses the state line is an FMCSA move, with a written estimate, the federal booklets, and the 110 percent rule on a non-binding interstate estimate. Do not hand an Illinois hourly tariff to a driver whose destination is St. Louis or Indianapolis and expect the Commission to referee that bill. Use the federal company search for that route, and use the ICC search for the Illinois license if any part of the move is sold as an in-state job.

What do I look at on moving morning?

Match the name on the truck to the name on the ICC record and to the estimate. A different company in the driveway is a stop, not a favor. Ask to see the cab card. The ICC says carriers purchase cab cards by December 31 each year. A card is not a substitute for the license search you already did, and a search is not a substitute for the truck that actually shows up. Photograph the name and the card if the driver will show them. Then compare the hourly or weight method on the estimate with what the crew says they are billing. The tariff page you saved is the page to hold up if the rate changed overnight.

FAQ

Does every hired mover in Illinois need an ICC license? Yes, if the company transports household property for hire. The license, the tariff, and the insurance filing go together.

Where do I look the company up? The ICC motor-carrier search, linked from the household-goods page, and the "Find a Licensed Household Goods Mover" link on that page.

Is the estimate the final price? No. The 2026 guide says an estimate is not binding. You are billed from the tariff for the service actually performed.

When is the company's annual report due? May 15. That is the carrier's filing, not a form you submit. A company that is far out of compliance is a reason to look up the license again.

Who takes a complaint? The ICC, online or by mail to the address on the transportation complaint form. See how to file it.

Next step

Search the legal name on the ICC list, then ask for a written estimate and the tariff page that matches the rate. Keep both. If the name on the truck is different on moving morning, stop before anything is loaded.

Sources: ICC: household goods movers, ICC 2026 consumer guide.

In Chicago, a professional mover gets curb space for its truck through a CDOT "Moving Van Parking" permit, filed in the city's online permit portal with the mover's ICC vehicle number. Ward offices hand out paper No Parking signs for self-moves, but at least one ward says those signs can't be enforced by ticket or tow.

Who gets the parking permit, me or the mover?

The mover. The 2nd Ward's resident permits page says commercial moving companies are required under city ordinance to get residential move permits from the Chicago Department of Transportation, and that if your mover tells you to get them from the alderman's office, that's not correct. CDOT's number for questions is 312-744-4652.

CDOT's Occupy Public Right-of-Way permit user guide shows what the mover enters for a Moving Van Parking application:

• Start and end dates
• The total number of vehicles parked at one time
• The ICC vehicle number
• The address range and street where the truck will park
• A work zone sketch, if the location is on an arterial street

The mover can then add a parking-restriction request to have signs posted, choosing the side of the street and when the posting begins and ends. CDOT's permits page confirms these applications go through the city portal at ipi.cityofchicago.org.

That ICC number is a useful tell. A company that can't fill in that field may not hold the Illinois license it needs. Our guide to the ICC household goods license shows how to check.

How far ahead should the mover apply?

The 1st Ward's parking page says CDOT's ticket- and tow-enforceable signs for eligible moving companies require 72 hours. Ward pages also quote a CDOT fee, but CDOT says permit fees may change year to year and that permittees should check the current fee schedule before applying. Ask the mover whether the permit is included in the estimate or billed on top.

Give the mover your exact address, the side of the street you'd prefer, and the date when you first ask for a quote. If the move date slips, the permit dates need to change too.

What about a self-move with a rental truck?

Self-moves are less tidy. The 1st Ward says it gives No Parking signs to residents who aren't using professional movers, such as people driving a rental truck. You email the address, the moving date and a time frame. It also says plainly that these signs aren't enforceable by ticketing or tow, and that they must be posted at least 48 hours before the move.

The 2nd Ward's rules are different. It asks for proof of residency and an ID, offers signs for a four-hour window between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., limits you to one day at a time, and requires the signs to be printed in color and posted at least 48 hours ahead.

So call your own alderman's office. Each ward runs this its own way.

Two more city rules matter for a do-it-yourself move, per the 1st Ward page:

• The city bans parking trucks and vans over 22 feet long and 8,000 pounds on residential streets at any time, with some exceptions. Don't plan to leave a big rental on your block overnight without checking.
• Moving pods and containers aren't allowed on the public way, including sidewalks, streets, parkways and alleys. They go on private property, or stay on a movable trailer.

Does winter change the plan?

Yes, if your street is an arterial. The city's winter snow parking restrictions page says the Winter Overnight Parking Ban runs on 107 miles of arterial streets from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., December 1 through April 1, whether or not it snows. Violators face a minimum $250 tow, a $60 ticket and $50 a day in storage.

A separate two-inch ban covers another 500 miles of main streets and can kick in any time there are at least two inches of snow on the street. If you're picking up a rental truck the night before an early December move, don't leave it, or your car, on a posted route between 3 and 7 a.m.

How does parking change the bill?

The Illinois Commerce Commission's 2026 consumer guide says moves under 50 miles, or entirely within Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will counties, may be charged by the number of workers and hours. It also warns that the lowest hourly rate doesn't guarantee the cheapest move, because charges are based on actual time.

A truck parked half a block away means more walking on every trip. The ICC guide says the estimator should understand any special problems at your destination, like elevators and stairs, and that the written estimate should state the number of workers and the size of the vehicle. Add the parking plan to that list. Our explainer on Illinois hourly vs. weight-and-distance rates goes deeper, and the 110 percent rule at delivery explains what you'll owe on moving day if the hours run long.

FAQ

Do I need to get the moving truck permit myself in Chicago?

Not if you hire a professional mover. The 2nd Ward says commercial movers are required by city ordinance to get the permit from CDOT, not from the alderman's office.

Are ward No Parking signs enforceable?

The 1st Ward says its self-move signs aren't enforceable by ticketing or tow. CDOT's signs for eligible moving companies are.

Can I put a moving pod on the street in Chicago?

No. The 1st Ward says city ordinance bars moving pods and containers from the public way unless they stay on a movable trailer.

Does the winter parking ban apply to moving trucks?

The ban covers parked vehicles on its 107 miles of arterial streets from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., December 1 through April 1, regardless of snow.

Your next step

Talk with a licensed local mover before you lock in a date. Ask them to confirm their ICC license, who files the CDOT parking permit, whether that cost is in the estimate, and how far the truck will be from your door. Get those answers in the written estimate.

Sources: Chicago 2nd Ward; Chicago 1st Ward; City of Chicago CDOT, Occupy Public Right-of-Way Permit User Guide; City of Chicago CDOT Permits page; City of Chicago DSS, Winter Snow Parking Restrictions; Illinois Commerce Commission, 2026 consumer guide 'Moving? You will want to read this first'.