No overnight curb space for a dead car
In Kenilworth, the curb empties out every night. Street parking is not allowed from 2 to 6 a.m., and the village asks residents to call the police for permission when there’s a real reason, like construction or guests with nowhere else to park.
A car that won’t start fits poorly into that system. If it dies on the street in the evening, it can’t legally stay there overnight without that permission. The practical answer is to get it towed onto your driveway or sold before night falls again. When you call us, mention if the car is on the street so we can plan around it.
A village of driveways
Kenilworth is almost entirely single-family houses: about 96% of homes are detached, nearly all are owner-occupied, and fewer than 2% of units are in buildings of five or more. Shared apartment garages are rare, so the car is usually on the owner’s own drive or in their garage. The village grew from a planned community that Joseph Sears laid out in the 1890s.
For pickup, the truck backs up the drive, the car is loaded, and you’re paid before it leaves. Let us know if the car sits deep in a detached garage at the back of the lot or if the driveway has a tight turn.
Inside the garage? Make sure the overhead door opens fully and move bikes, bins or tools away from the front bumper.
Title, plates and the village sticker
Kenilworth issues a village vehicle sticker, which residents also use to park in the commuter lots by the Metra station. Ask Village Hall how a sticker on a sold car is handled before you buy one for a replacement.
Plates come off with you. If the title is lost, our guide to selling a junk car without a title in Illinois explains the state rules. Short version: tell us which papers you have, such as registration or a past bill of sale plus your license, and we’ll confirm on the call what Illinois allows in your situation.
Wilmette, Winnetka and the rest of the North Shore
Kenilworth sits between Wilmette and Winnetka, and we cover both. For other towns, open our areas page.
Selling a car in Kenilworth: common questions
Can a broken-down car stay on a Kenilworth street overnight until you arrive?
Not without permission. Village rules bar street parking from 2 to 6 a.m. Call the Kenilworth Police Department and ask for temporary overnight permission, giving the car's make, color and plate, then schedule the pickup for the next day.
Is Kenilworth too small for you to come out?
No. The village has fewer than 800 households, but we serve it the same as any other North Shore town: free towing and payment when the car is loaded. Tell us the address and where the car is parked on the property.