Customer Service

The Customer Service Center is responsible for City utility billing, as well as collecting various revenues, including taxes, liquor license and general business license fees, special assessments, and utility payments. The Customer Service Center is open Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., except on City holidays.

Utility Billing

Utility Billing is responsible for the billing of water and sanitation pick up. This includes generating water bills, addressing customer account inquiries, and posting payments to customer accounts.

The Utility Billing Division of the Finance Department is responsible for the billing of water and sanitation pick up. Water meters are read every month and billed in monthly increments. Water is measured in cubic feet, and billing is calculated in hundreds of cubic feet. One hundred cubic feet is equivalent to 748.1 gallons. Current water rates, based on meter size, are provided below.

City Council passed new water rates effective 12/1/15. Water rates are set based on expected capital and operating costs to run the Water utility.

Service beyond City limits

In order to recover the additional costs of providing service beyond the corporate limits, the service and consumption charges to customers outside of the City limits shall be twice the amounts specified above.

The City of Rockford has enacted a 5% tax on all water utility transactions within the City limits. This tax is not included in the above water rates.

Garbage Collection

The City contracts with Rock River Disposal Services, Inc. for it garbage, recyclable and landscape waste pick up. Monthly water/rubbish bills include the charges for water service and usage from the prior month, and the charges for rubbish removal for the current month.

The Rockford City Council approves a fee schedule annually, as part of the budget process.  The schedule outlines costs for all necessary fees and permits required by the City for various purposes, including utility billing, building and zoning permits, and business licenses, to name a few.

The current fee schedule was passed in December and went into effect as of January 1, 2016.

Collections

Handling over 450,000 transactions each year, employees collect payments for water and refuse service, liquor licenses, business licenses, taxes, special assessments, and building permits. Payments can be made via mail or in person at City Hall, where credit cards are accepted (Visa, Master Card, or Discover). The City is also an authorized collection agent for ComEd payments and processes these payments according to ComEd regulations.

 Payment Options

Utility bills may be paid in person, by mail or online. Please see below for more information.

 In-person

Cash, credit card and check payments are accepted at City Hall, 425 E. State Street, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Credit card and check payments may also be submitted in the after-hours Payment Drop Box located near the south entrance of City Hall.

 Mail

Check and credit card payments may be made using the return envelope that was sent with your bill or by mailing payment to: Payment Center, City of Rockford, P.O. Box 1221, Rockford, IL 61105-1221.  

E-Billing and Auto Pay

We are pleased to offer an e-billing and auto-pay option. Please click here and follow the prompts listed to enroll.

Request New Utility Service

To set up new service, questions about your existing water service, or billing questions, contact the Customer Service Center at 779-348-7300.  For questions on your garbage collection, contact Rock River Disposal Services at 815-965-2489 or the City’s Code Enforcement Division.  For after-hours water emergencies, call 815-987-5712.

Liquor Licenses

Liquor licenses are handled through the Legal Department.

 General Business Licenses

The City of Rockford does not require every business to have a general business license, however, there are specific businesses which do require a license. Please click Licenses & Fees to see a list of businesses that the City licenses.

Those operating a business from their homes within the City limits may require a home occupation’s license from the Zoning Division. Those setting up temporary stands require an itinerant merchant’s license through the Property Standards Division. Door-to-door sales require a solicitors license and should be advised that they cannot go to places which have “No Soliciting” posted, and must solicit between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Soliciting business on public ways is not permitted.

A list of revoked solicitor’s licenses can be found at the bottom of this page.  Liquor licenses and special events are handled through the Legal Department.

Other aspects of new businesses are handled by governmental agencies outside of the City. To register a business name, contact the Winnebago County Clerk’s office.  Tax identification numbers are issued by the Illinois Department of Revenue.

 Fee Schedule
A comprehensive fee schedule is approved by City Council annually as part of the budget process. Fees are adjusted annually as needed.

 Transfer of License/Location
Requests for the transfer of a license or a location change should be made in writing to the City Legal Department for approval and forwarding to the appropriate departments. Please note that not all licenses are transferable.

 License Fees
Fees are payable upon application. Delinquent renewal penalties of 20% after 30 days and 50% after 60 days are provided for fees covered under Chapter 5 of the City Code.

 Certificate of Insurance
The City of Rockford must be the certificate holder on certificates of insurance. An original certificate (or fax thereof) needs to be on file in our office. Amounts should be checked against ordinance requirements.

 Expiration/Renewal
Licenses expire January 31 unless otherwise noted. Renewal notices are sent the first working day of the month of expiration. Overdue notices are sent 30 and 60 days after expiration of those licenses whose fees are covered under Chapter 5.

 Application Forms/Ordinances
An application form can be obtained online by clicking on the appropriate links under each license type. The applicable ordinances can be found in the City’s Code of Ordinances.

Revoked Solicitor’s Licenses

The following businesses currently have revoked solicitor’s license:

Just Energy

Parking Permits & Fines

Parking permits and fines are managed by ABM Parking Services. There are three types of parking permits available: daily, monthly, and annual. Parking permits may be purchased online at https://payments.abm.com/ or in-person at the ABM Parking Services office at 211B Elm Street. ABM accepts cash, check, money order, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or Discover).

Parking Fines

Parking tickets are issued by the Police and/or Parking Control Officers. Fines are based on the type of violation and increase in amount if they are not paid within 30 days and 60 days of issuance. Current parking violations and the fees associated with them are as follows: (this chart: http://www.rockfordil.gov/finance/accounting/parking-permits-fines/parking-fines.aspx)

Parking tickets may be paid online at https://abm-rockfordparking.t2hosted.com/cmn/index.aspx, by mail by sending a check or money order, and the ticket, in the envelope provided with the ticket to ABM Parking Services, 211B Elm Street, Rockford, IL 61101, or or in-person at the ABM Parking Services office at 211B Elm Street. ABM accepts cash, check, money order, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or Discover).

Contest a Ticket

You can contest the validity of a Parking ticket but not the Fine amount.  Tickets must be contested within 30 days of the ticket’s issue date, or within 14 days from the date of the second notice to avoid an increase to the fine.

All disputes and requests for a hearing must be done in writing. To request an in-person hearing, simply check the box on the back of the ticket or second notice and return it to ABM Parking Services, 211B Elm Street, Rockford, IL 61101. Upon receipt, the City will schedule you for the next available hearing date and will send notification of such hearing. When you appear at the hearing, please be sure to bring all supporting documentation with you.

 To request a Mail hearing, simply check the box on the back of the ticket or second notice and return it with ALL supporting documentation to ABM Parking Services, 211B Elm Street, Rockford, IL 61101. Mail hearings take at least two months to process from the date we receive the dispute. You will be notified as to the Administrator’s ruling.

 Examples of supporting documentation include but are not limited to: State Vehicle Registration, copy of bill of sale or trade-in paperwork, name and address of person you sold the car to and date of sale, copy of the handicap placard, and any other information you believe supports your case.

Tickets that have reached the Final Notice stage can no longer be disputed.

Please call 815-968-5294 with any questions about a ticket or the contesting process.

Did you know?

• Parking on the curb or on a driveway that blocks a sidewalk is a $20.00 parking violation.
• Parking in the same spot on the street for 48 hours or more is a $20.00 parking violation.
• Parking on the wrong side of the street is a $20.00 parking violation.
• Parking on the wrong side of the street during the even / odd snow removal restrictions is a $50.00 parking violation.

Alarm Permits & False Alarm Fines

Alarm permits and false alarm fines are managed by PMAM. An alarm permit is required of all monitored alarm systems within the City. If you exceed the number of false alarms allowed by the City False Alarm Ordinance, you may be required to pay a false alarm fine. Please click this link for more information.