Frequently Asked Questions: Police Department

The City of St. Charles does not ban parking on city streets overnight as many towns do, but there are restrictions on the vehicles that may park overnight. The ordinance, 10.40.010 C says it is unlawful to park any ". . . pickup camper with a cap that exceeds six inches above the cab roof, a van that exceeds its manufacturer's height, motor home, mobile home, trailer, boat trailer, tractor, bus, truck which has a gross carrying weight in excess of three-fourths ton, and any vehicle equipped with an attached snowplow, on any street, alley, or parkway between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

If you are unsure about your vehicle or would like to report a violation, create a service request or contact the Police Department at 630-377-4435.

Download a Block Party Application form from the Forms, Permits and Records page of the City website.

Limited to parking tickets issued by the City of St. Charles Police Department.

If you believe that a parking ticket was issued improperly, the first step is to contact the Police Department and ask for the Traffic Unit Supervisor.  Either phone the non-emergency number 630-377-4435 or come in to the front desk Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.  Our front desk personnel will locate the Traffic Unit Supervisor for you. 

If the Traffic Unit Supervisor determines that the ticket was improperly issued or issued in error, the ticket will be voided.  If the facts presented to the Traffic Unit Supervisor causes the ticket to remain in effect, the second step to dispute the ticket is to request a hearing at the administrative adjudication proceeding.

Administrative Adjudication is a proceeding in front of a hearing officer who listens to evidence presented by the City of St. Charles and by the accused who then makes a determination of liability or non-liability.  Such hearings can be utilized for non-criminal offenses that are punishable only by fine. The hearing officer is an attorney licensed by the State of Illinois.  Illinois statutes allow for an appeal of the hearing officer’s determination in the circuit court.

Such hearings allow the accused to present their case in a less formal atmosphere where the strict rules of evidence in the circuit court do not necessarily apply.  The hearings are scheduled for the 3rd Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, making these hearings much more accessible than the circuit court.  These hearings are designed for a fair and efficient disposition of an alleged ordinance violation.

To file a complaint or compliment regarding an officer or member of the Police Department, please complete Form 73 Complaint/Inquiry form, which can be found on the Forms, Permits & Records page of the City website, under  Police Department Forms. Bring the completed form to the Police Department on-duty supervisor.

If you have questions regarding the form, please contact Police Department Administration at (630) 443-3777.

Limited to traffic tickets issued by St. Charles police officers.

A St. Charles parking ticket can be paid by mail or in person. If paying in person, you can pay at the Utility Billing office in the Municipal Building 2 E. Main St. during regular business hours 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Acceptable forms of payment include cash, personal check or money order. If you are paying with cash and do not have exact change, please pay at the Utility Billing office, as the Police Department cannot make change. If you are paying by check, please make it payable to: City of St. Charles.

The amount of the fine is identified on the parking ticket and varies depending upon the violation and number of previous tickets incurred in the last 12 months.

Appointments are scheduled with Police personnel. This is a free service to ensure the seats are properly installed, appointments are scheduled depending on availability. All personnel have been certified in proper car seat installation.

Please visit the Child Restrainst Seat Checks section of our web site for additional information, or creat a support request to schedule an appointment.

The City limits a total of three (3) dogs and/or cats in any household, apartment, or any other dwelling unit within the City. Title 6 of the City's code will provide further information. The City also requires that all dogs and cats over four months of age be inoculated against rabies.

Please also note that City Code does not allow for animals to be left outside, on a leash or otherwise restrained on the owner's property, while unattended.

If you believe there is a violation of this ordinance please submit a service request.

Please call 911 in the event of an emergency or to dispatch an officer.

For non-emergency support, create a Support Request or contact the Police Department's non-emergency telephone number 630-377-4435.

Businesses, organizations, clubs or homeowners associations that would like specific crime prevention-related talks for larger groups in the evening, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., can schedule a speaker from the St. Charles Police Department.

Police Department tours for clubs and organizations can be scheduled by request, subject to scheduling. Short, topic specific informational talks can be included in the tours, depending on the group, amount of time and request.

To schedule a group tour of the Police Department, create a support request.

What do I do when I see a stray dog or injured wild animal in my yard or neighborhood?

DO NOT approach the animal. Try to keep your distance and if possible go into your home or other shelter where the animal cannot reach you.

Provide the Tri-Com communications center with as much information about the animal as you can. If possible, answer the following questions:

• What type of an animal is it? (Dog, cat, fox, opossum, skunk, raccoon, deer, coyote, squirrel)
• What is the problem with the animal? (stray, injured, possibly dangerous)
• Why do you think there is a problem?

An officer will be dispatched to determine the extent of the problem and whether the City of St. Charles can assist.  If not, the officer may suggest either Kane County Animal Control or a private service to resolve the problem.

For additional information regarding Kane County Animal Control, contact them at www.co.kane.il.us/animalcontrol.

Door to Door Solicitation

One type is door-to-door solicitation. The Police Department requires registration of door-to-door solicitors. A solicitation form is available online on our Forms Page.

Solicitors can only solicit between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and cannot solicit where a "No Solicitors" sign is displayed. They also cannot solicit on state or national holidays. Handbills or flyers may be distributed to private premises, provided they are affixed, or handed to drivers or passengers of autos in private parking lots (with the permission of the property owner). They may not be posted on public property, placed in or on mailboxes, or left on/attached to automobiles on public or private property.

Charitable Solicitation

The other type of solicitation involves service or charitable groups conducting solicitation on private property or City streets. If a service group, i.e. Kiwanis, Miseracordia, Anderson Animal Shelter, etc., wishes to conduct a "tag day," they must request permission from the individual business upon whose property they intend to solicit, such as Jewel, Blue Goose, etc. The only request the Police Department will make of the service group is that they refrain from obstructing vehicular and pedestrian traffic. In other words, the service group is not to stand on the roadway or block sidewalks in any way. As a courtesy, the Police Department will request a letter from the service group to the Chief stating dates and times. While this is not a mandatory requirement, it is requested to insure that the Department is aware of the solicitation should they receive any comments or complaints. It also assists with scheduling of the groups. Once the letter is received by the Department, an approval letter is returned to the service group by the Chief's office.

Please call 911 to dispatch an officer to investigate a possible violation.

General Information

The snow parking restrictions are in effect from November 1 through April 30 and are detailed in Section 10.40.060 of the St. Charles Municipal Code. Snow routes are marked with blue signs. The Police Department will begin enforcing these parking regulations approximately one hour after the 2” accumulation has been reached.

A citywide parking ban may be put into effect with 3” or more of snow has accumulated and full plowing operations are underway.  Section 10.40.070 states that cars may not be parked on streets or highways for 72 hours after the 3” accumulation has been reached.  Cars may be towed, per Section 10.40.090, to a cleared street or designated parking lot. The Police Department will begin enforcing these parking regulations approximately one hour after the 3” accumulation is reached.