Milwaukee new towing rule; crackdown on unpaid parking tickets starts Nov. 1

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee alderman on Wednesday, Oct. 29, discussed the upcoming enforcement of a new ordinance that hopes to recover uncollected parking citations.

What we know:

The new city ordinance set to take effect Nov. 1 will target thousands of drivers with unpaid parking tickets.

Any vehicle – parked legally or illegally – whose owner still has not complied would be towed and impounded starting Jan. 1, 2026.

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Ald. Scott Spiker (13th District) said the city is sending 30,000 letters to people who qualify as "habitual parking violators," defined as those with five or more tickets more than 60 days overdue.

What they're saying:

"The city is going to send out 30,000 letters to everybody who is in this habitual parking violator," Spiker said. "January 1, if you aren’t square, your vehicle will be towed."

Ald. Scott Spiker said the city has more than $17 million in uncollected parking citations tied to an estimated 39,000 vehicles.

Even legally parked vehicles could be seized from city streets if owners ignore the letters. Out-of-town violators will receive the notices too, though Spiker said their cars won’t be towed unless illegally parked in Milwaukee.

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"We don’t want to tow your car; we just want you to pay the ticket," Spiker said. "If this is successful, not as many people get towed. That is the goal."

Leaders said this will also help the city recoup part of the unpaid fines, which also helps fund The Hop streetcar.

Local perspective:

Driver Cynthia Curry recalled how a payment plan helped her two decades ago when her car was towed. 

"It’s a great option, get on a payment plan and work it out," she said. "I had the same kind of situations come up where my car was towed, money was short, I had to pay them, get on a payment plan."