Last updated October 13, 2026
Your first 30 days in Chicago are about three things: handling the paperwork that has deadlines, learning to get around, and starting to feel at home. If you brought a car, the city sticker and Illinois registration are due within 30 days, and you have 90 days to switch your driver’s license. Set up transit payment, learn your ‘L’ line and bus routes, and find your nearest grocery store, pharmacy and urgent care. Then start building a routine and meeting people, through work, sports leagues, classes or your neighborhood.
What should you do in your first week?
- Set up transit. Tap a phone or contactless card at the turnstile for your first rides, or get a Ventra card or the Ventra app. If you’ll ride often, a 30-day pass costs $75. Read how the ‘L’ works.
- Walk your neighborhood. Find your nearest grocery store, pharmacy, laundromat (if you don’t have laundry), urgent care, and the closest ‘L’ station and bus stops.
- Check your apartment basics. Confirm heat, hot water, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and how to reach your landlord or building management for repairs.
- Learn your trash and recycling days and any building rules.
- Save 311. Chicago’s 311 phone line and app handle non-emergency city services, from potholes to no-heat complaints to towed cars.
What paperwork has deadlines?
| Task | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Chicago city sticker for any vehicle you keep in the city ($105.18 in 2026 for most cars) | Within 30 days |
| Illinois vehicle registration and plates | Within 30 days |
| Illinois driver’s license | Within 90 days |
| Residential parking permit, if your street is in a permit zone | Before parking on your street |
Also update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and anything else that bills you, and register to vote at your new address. If you don’t drive, an Illinois state ID is useful as local proof of address.
What should you set up in weeks two and three?
- Find a doctor and dentist in your insurance network before you need one. Chicago’s large health systems have clinics across the city.
- Get a Chicago Public Library card. It’s free for residents and gets you books, e-books, workspace, and programs at branches citywide.
- Learn the parking rules on your block, if you have a car: street cleaning, permit zones, and the winter bans that start December 1.
- Prepare for the season ahead. If winter is coming, buy a real coat and boots now. See how bad Chicago winters really are.
- Test your commute at rush hour before your first day of work, if you haven’t started yet.
How do you meet people in a new city?
Chicago is a friendly, neighborhood-based city, and most people you meet were new here once too. Some reliable ways to build a social life:
- Join a sports league. Adult kickball, volleyball, softball and other leagues are a big part of Chicago social life, especially in summer.
- Take a class. Cooking, improv, running clubs, climbing gyms and park district programs all have regulars you’ll see every week.
- Become a regular somewhere. A coffee shop, gym or neighborhood bar you visit often turns faces into friends.
- Volunteer. It’s a good way to meet people who share your interests.
- Use your alumni network. Many universities have active Chicago alumni groups.
- Go to neighborhood events. Summer street festivals happen almost every weekend.
How should you explore the city?
Ride the ‘L’ to a different neighborhood each weekend. Walk or bike part of the Lakefront Trail, visit a museum on an Illinois resident free day, and try the local food you’ll be asked about. Seeing more of the city early helps you understand it, and helps you choose where to live when your first lease ends.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first thing to do after moving to Chicago?
Set up transit payment, learn your neighborhood’s essentials, and note the 30-day deadline for a city sticker and car registration if you brought a car.
What is 311 in Chicago?
The city’s non-emergency service line and app, for requests like potholes, missed garbage pickup, no-heat complaints and finding a towed car.
How do you make friends in Chicago?
Sports leagues, classes, volunteering, alumni groups and becoming a regular at local spots are the most common ways newcomers build a social circle.
Sources
- City sticker: Office of the Chicago City Clerk
- Registration and license timelines: Illinois Vehicle Code (Public Act 99-0118)
- Transit fares: CTA fare chart
