SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In response to news reports that Illinois residents are being forced to pay decade-old parking tickets that they believed they had already paid, state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, has introduced legislation creating a five-year statute of limitation on municipalities and counties to collect overdue parking tickets.

“It is ridiculous to require individuals to prove they paid parking tickets that occurred decades ago,” Kifowit said. “My legislation is a commonsense measure that will help prevent residents from having to possibly pay for the same ticket twice.”

In January 2017, the Chicago Tribune reported that since 2012, Chicago has increased its efforts to collect decades-old parking tickets. Several individuals interviewed by the paper claimed to have paid the tickets but lacked physical evidence. Kifowit’s law would protect drivers by preventing municipalities or counties from collecting on overdue parking tickets after five years.

“Chicago has been going after individuals with decades-old parking tickets and forcing people to either show proof they paid these tickets years ago or to pay up,” Kifowit said. “By creating a five-year limit, we can give residents peace of mind that they will not be forced to repay old parking tickets.”