Moving to Chicago — 39-Item Checklist

Check crime rates, safety grades, and neighborhood profiles for Chicago. CityCheck provides FBI-sourced safety grades for every neighborhood.

Compare housing costs, grocery prices, transportation, and utilities between your current city and Chicago. Check if your salary goes further or shorter.

Learn about street cleaning schedules, permit parking, meter hours, and common fine amounts in Chicago before you arrive. Expired meter tickets run $25-50 in IL.

File a change of address with USPS online ($1.10 identity verification fee) or at your local post office. Forward mail for 6-12 months to catch stragglers.

Update your mailing address with all financial institutions. Some banks flag out-of-state transactions as fraud — call ahead to prevent card freezes during your move.

Get at least 3 insurance quotes for your new Chicago address before move day. Landlords typically require proof of renter's insurance before handing over keys.

Cancel gym memberships, update streaming service addresses, transfer magazine subscriptions. Check which services are available in your new city.

Request copies of medical records, dental records, and school transcripts. Many offices need 2-4 weeks to process requests. Get vaccination records for school enrollment.

Chicago has specific rules about what goes in recycling vs. trash. Learn your pickup day and recycling rules before you arrive so you don't miss your first collection.

Chicago internet providers: Xfinity (most common), AT&T Fiber (where available), RCN (select neighborhoods). Check Google Fiber availability — it's expanding into select Chicago neighborhoods in 2026.

ComEd: https://secure.comed.com/CustomerServices/service/start or call 1-800-334-7661. Service starts within 1 business day. Avg Chicago electric bill: ~$85/mo. Sign up for budget billing to avoid winter spikes.

Peoples Gas: https://www.peoplesgasdelivery.com/services/start-energy-service or call 1-866-556-6001. Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat 7am-3pm. Gas must be on before winter — no-heat emergencies in Chicago are dangerous.

City of Chicago (included in property tax for owners; renters check lease): https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/water.html or call 311. Most Chicago renters do NOT pay a separate water bill — it's typically included in rent or covered by the landlord.

Chicago trash is collected by Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation (311). Find your specific pickup day by address on their website.

Contact Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation at 311 to request your bins if they weren't left by the previous tenant. Standard is a trash bin + recycling bin.

DMV (when you transfer license), voter registration, employer HR, IRS (Form 8822), health insurance, car insurance, Amazon, and any subscription services.

Map out the closest grocery stores and pharmacy to your new Chicago address. Download store apps for digital coupons — this will save you hundreds over the first year.

Introduce yourself to immediate neighbors in the first week. They're your best source for hyperlocal information: which trash day is yours, where to park during street cleaning, and what to know about the block.

Illinois SOS - Loop (Flagship), 125 W Monroe St, Chicago, IL 60603 (Mon-Fri 7:30am-5pm). Phone: (312) 793-1010. Cost: $30 for new license. Deadline: 90 days after establishing residency. Bring: Current out-of-state license, Proof of IL address (utility bill or lease), Social Security card, Proof of signature (credit card or debit card). Other locations: Illinois SOS - North (Elston) at 5401 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60630; Illinois SOS - South (MLK) at 9901 S Dr Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Chicago, IL 60628; Illinois SOS - West (Lexington) at 5301 W Lexington St, Chicago, IL 60644. The Loop/Flagship office has the longest waits — try Elston (North) or the South location instead

Bring your out-of-state title, proof of insurance, and proof of IL address to the Illinois SOS. Most states require registration within 30-60 days. You'll also need a IL emissions/safety inspection in many states.

Register at https://www.cookcountyclerk.com/service/voter-registration. Online registration at ova.elections.il.gov. Same-day registration available during early voting and on Election Day at your polling place. Deadline: 28 days before election (grace period registration available at election office).

Free for all Chicago residents. 82 branches. Bring photo ID with Chicago address to any branch. Main library: Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S State St.

CTA (Chicago Transit Authority): Get a Ventra card at any L station vending machine ($5 card fee, refunded as transit credit). 7-day pass: $20. Monthly pass: $75/mo unlimited CTA bus + L. Single ride: $2.50 (bus/L). More info: https://www.ventrachicago.com

Chicago has specific rules about what's recyclable. Common mistakes: plastic bags (never in curbside recycling), greasy pizza boxes (trash, not recycling), and Styrofoam (trash in most cities).

Car insurance rates vary significantly by city. Chicago may be higher or lower than your old city. Get 3 quotes and update within 30 days of your move to avoid coverage gaps.

Search your insurance provider directory for in-network doctors near your Chicago address. Book a new-patient visit — most offices have a 2-4 week wait for new patients.

Search for in-network dentists near your Chicago address. Schedule a cleaning if you're due — dental health is easiest to maintain when you don't skip visits during a move.

File IRS Form 8822 (Change of Address) so tax documents go to the right place. This is separate from USPS mail forwarding. Free to file online or by mail.

Chicago requires a city vehicle sticker ($96.85/yr for passenger cars) — buy at chicityclerk.com or any currency exchange. Deadline: June 30 (late fees apply). If your block has zone parking signs, add a residential zone parking permit ($35/yr). Guest passes: $15 for a sheet of 15 daily permits.

Join your Chicago neighborhood's Nextdoor group, Facebook neighborhood group, and any local Reddit community (r/chicago or similar). These are where you'll learn about block parties, lost pets, and local issues.

Walk every block within a 10-minute radius of your Chicago home. Note the coffee shops, restaurants, parks, and corner stores. You'll discover spots that don't show up on Google Maps.

Unexpected costs in Chicago: parking tickets ($25-115), towing ($150-400), lost apartment keys ($50-200 locksmith), laundry machine repairs. Build a $500 city emergency fund.

Chicago declares snow emergencies that require moving your car to designated routes or odd/even sides. Cars left on snow emergency routes get towed ($150-300+). Sign up for city alerts.

Know your rights as a renter in IL: security deposit limits, required notice periods, habitability standards, and eviction protections. Landlords cannot charge fees or make deductions that violate state law.

Chicago uses 311 (or a local equivalent) for non-emergency city services: pothole reports, noise complaints, abandoned vehicles, streetlight outages. Save the number in your phone.

Street cleaning tickets in IL run $25-55. Set a weekly reminder on your phone for the morning before your block's cleaning day. Move your car the night before.

Track open 311 requests near your Chicago address. Patterns in complaints reveal neighborhood issues: repeated noise complaints, rodent sightings, or infrastructure problems.

Recycling rules change. Chicago may add composting mandates, change accepted materials, or modify pickup schedules. Check annually or when you see a notice on your bin.

Set calendar reminders for annual renewals: residential parking permit, vehicle registration, and driver's license. Late renewal fees add up.