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Milwaukee night parking, winter rules and snow emergencies
Most City of Milwaukee street tows in winter come from three rules in the Traffic Code: night parking from 2 to 6 a.m., the December-to-March rules for bus routes and through highways, and declared snow emergencies.
General information, not legal advice. The papers you got from the police, the tow company, the storage lot or a state agency control your dates. Agencies change phone numbers and steps, so check the agency's own page too.
1. Night parking: 2 to 6 a.m.
No car may park on a City street from 2 to 6 a.m. without a night parking permit or the City's temporary night parking permission. With a permit, cars park on the even-numbered side of the street on nights with an even date and on the odd-numbered side on nights with an odd date, counting the date before midnight (Milwaukee Code § 101-27-1, 2, 3). No car may stay in one place on a street for more than 24 hours.
The rule does not apply on Sunday mornings or on the mornings of and after New Year's Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and up to 90 minutes is allowed in the block of a City-licensed business open at that hour (§ 101-27-7).
- The City's page lists permits at $55 a year, $20 a trimester, $10 a month, $5 a week or $1 a day, with three free night parking permissions per 30 days, for City residents.
- The City's citation table lists night parking at $25, the wrong side at $30 and winter night parking at $35, rising after 14, 28 and 58 days unpaid.
Sources: Milwaukee Code of Ordinances ch. 101, Traffic Code (official PDF); Night Parking Permits (City of Milwaukee); Types and Costs of Parking Citations (City of Milwaukee)
2. December 1 to March 1
From December 1 to March 1, night parking permits do not cover through highways or streets with a bus route after 8 p.m. (§ 101-27-8). The City's page says these streets are not individually posted and lists them online and on a map, and that streets with night parking on both sides from March 1 to December 1 switch to alternate side parking for the winter.
Sources: Milwaukee Code of Ordinances ch. 101, Traffic Code (official PDF); Parking Regulations (City of Milwaukee)
3. Snow emergencies
The Commissioner of Public Works declares a snow emergency after a heavy snowfall. During one, no car may park on a street with temporary No Parking signs; from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. no car may park on a bus route or through highway, and on other streets the odd-even rule applies (§ 101-26).
The ordinance says the emergency lasts until plowing is declared complete; the City's page says it continues 72 hours or until plowing is declared complete, if earlier. The City offers winter parking text alerts, and its page says Milwaukee Public Schools make some playgrounds available for overnight parking during snow emergencies.
- The City's page: winter parking violations are $50, then $100, then $150 and tow-eligible for a third in a season.
Sources: Milwaukee Code of Ordinances ch. 101, Traffic Code (official PDF); Parking Regulations (City of Milwaukee)
4. Tow, storage and the refund
A City tow to the Tow Lot, 3811 West Lincoln Avenue, costs $150 plus $25 a day of storage, and a notice is mailed within 72 hours (§ 101-25-1-b). If the ticket the tow was based on is released after a review or dismissed by the court, the City releases the car without those charges and refunds what was paid (§ 101-25-2).
The City's Parking Citations page says a ticket is disputed online within 65 calendar days, and a Municipal Court hearing is scheduled in person at a Violations Bureau location within 65 days of the citation date or 10 days from the online decision letter, whichever is later.
- This guide was checked October 13, 2026, and will be checked again before December 1, 2026.
Sources: Milwaukee Code of Ordinances ch. 101, Traffic Code (official PDF); Parking Citations (City of Milwaukee); Tow Lot (City of Milwaukee)
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