The new-resident setup checklist. Water, garbage, power, schools, the train, the sticker — a Bartlett move has a dozen small setups, and each one runs through a different office. This page puts them in order, with the real phone numbers and rules pulled from the official sources: the Village, the utilities, Metra, the school district, and the state.
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In rough order, here is everything a new Bartlett household has to set up — each item is covered in its own section below, with the phone numbers and links that go with it.
The Village itself provides your water and sewer, and setup is a phone call: to begin or terminate water service, call Bartlett Village Hall at 630-837-0800. You'll get one monthly bill covering both water and sewer — there's no separate sewer company to chase. Renting? A Tenant Application for Residential Water & Sewer Service form puts the account in the tenant's name.
Bartlett's contract hauler is Groot, and unlike the water, each resident arranges their own pickup — call Groot when you move in. Collection day is Tuesday, with materials out by 6 a.m.; there's no collection on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. You'll choose a 65- or 95-gallon refuse cart; the village's published single-family rate for 2026 is $23.05 a month (seniors 65+ get 10% off), and recycling in a village cart is unlimited. Yard waste runs April–November in bags with $2 Groot stickers — except October–November leaves, which need no sticker.
The vehicle sticker is real — but call for the price. Bartlett's Village Code requires every motor vehicle garaged or kept in the village to be licensed with the Village Clerk, who issues a windshield sticker to display on the front of the vehicle. Here's the honest part: the village does not publish the sticker's price, annual deadline, or a new-resident grace period on its website, so rather than guess, ask when you make the water call — Village Hall, 630-837-0800.
Planning home projects? The Village Code requires a building permit before a structure is built, enlarged, repaired, altered, or replaced — applications go through the Village's online Permitting and Licensing Portal, so check before the fence, deck, or water heater goes in.
Start, stop, or transfer electric service online at ComEd.com, or by phone at 800-EDISON-1 (800-334-7661). ComEd's start-service guide says residential applicants must be 18 or older and provide the service address, mailing address, phone, and email, the property owner or manager's contact, and two forms of ID, including one government-issued photo ID — have those handy and the call is short. (Moving in mid-winter? Our guide to why ComEd bills run high explains what actually drives the number.)
Most Bartlett homes heat with Nicor Gas. When you move in, contact Nicor Gas to set up a new account in your name — the same call handles stopping or transferring service when you eventually move out. While you're setting up accounts, check whether you qualify for help: Nicor runs its own bill-assistance programs, and our guide to LIHEAP and utility help lays out the options county by county.
Bartlett station — 120 E. Railroad Ave — is on the Milwaukee District West Line to Chicago Union Station. It's in Fare Zone 4, it's accessible, the waiting room runs 4 a.m. to 7 p.m., and ticket vending machines are on site. Commuters are well supplied with parking: 13 lots and 720 spaces, 436 of them daily-only.
Parking is run by the Village of Bartlett, not Metra — Metra's station page lists no prices and refers drivers to Village Hall (630-837-0800). Under the Village Code, the daily-pay lots are $1.50 per day (6 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays excepted) and permit parking is $90 per calendar quarter, with permits renewed on or before January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 through the Village Clerk. Rates can change — confirm the current figures with the Village when you buy your first permit.
All of Bartlett is in School District U-46. Enrollment runs on where you live: every student needs current proof of residency on file, and families who are new to the district or recently moved update it at their school. You'll complete a Proof of Custody and Residency Form (in English and Spanish) and provide two proofs of residency as the form lists. If you genuinely can't produce the documents, U-46 directs families to Project Access at 847-888-5000 (ext. 6768, 6769, or 6765) rather than turning kids away. Little ones coming up? U-46's free preschool screenings are covered on our single moms guide — they're free for every district 3- and 4-year-old.
Anyone who lives within the Bartlett Public Library District can get a card at the library (800 S. Bartlett Rd), at any age. One wrinkle worth knowing on day one: not every Village of Bartlett address is inside the library district — the districts don't share borders, so the library checks your address. Bring a photo ID plus address verification (a utility bill, lease, or mortgage papers all work). Everyone living at your address can get a card, and resident cards are valid for three years. If you're outside the district, ask about the non-resident card — and a card pays for itself fast: it's also your ticket to the Museum Adventure Pass covered on the single moms guide.
Park District pricing turns on one fact: a resident is someone who pays taxes to the Bartlett Park District — again, not always the same line as the village border. Check your property tax bill if you're unsure, or ask and they'll check for you. Proof of residency is required annually, and residents get the first registration window when each seasonal guide posts, before open registration for everyone else. Set up your household account online, by email at guestservices@bartlettparks.org, or at Guest Services in the Bartlett Community Center (700 S. Bartlett Rd, 630-540-4800) — and if you're 62 or over, the senior rates in our seniors guide apply to you.
Register to vote. Illinois residents register online at ova.elections.il.gov, in person at the election authority or a driver's license facility, with a deputy registrar, or by mail. You qualify if you're a U.S. citizen, will be 18 on or before the next Election Day, and have lived in your voting jurisdiction for 30 days before the election — bring two forms of ID, at least one showing your current address. Regular registration runs year-round but closes for the 27 days before an election (online registration stays open until 16 days before); miss the deadline and grace-period registration is available in person. City and village offices and township offices are among the places the State Board of Elections lists for registering.
Update your driver's license within 10 days. Illinois law gives you 10 days after moving to notify the Secretary of State of your address change — there's an online form, and a replacement license showing the new address costs $5. New to Illinois entirely? You may drive on your valid out-of-state license for 90 days, but you must change your vehicle registration within 30 days at a driver services facility; getting the Illinois license means surrendering the old one and passing a vision screening, a written exam, and possibly a drive exam. The nearest facilities, per the Secretary of State's own list, are Elgin (595 S. State St) and Schaumburg (1227 E. Golf Road).
How do I start water service in Bartlett?
Call Bartlett Village Hall at 630-837-0800. The village provides water and sewer and bills them together on one monthly bill.
Do I need a vehicle sticker in Bartlett?
Yes — the Village Code requires vehicles garaged or kept in the village to be licensed with the Village Clerk, who issues a windshield sticker. The village doesn't publish the price or a new-resident deadline online, so confirm the cost and timing with Village Hall at 630-837-0800.
What school district is Bartlett?
School District U-46, for the whole village. Enrollment requires proof of residency: a Proof of Custody and Residency Form plus two proofs of residency, handled at your school.
How much is Metra parking at Bartlett station?
Parking is run by the Village of Bartlett. Under the Village Code, daily-pay lots are $1.50 per day and permit parking is $90 per calendar quarter (permits renew Jan 1, Apr 1, Jul 1, Oct 1). Metra's own station page lists no prices, so confirm current rates with Village Hall at 630-837-0800.
New here? Start with the Bartlett events calendar — refreshed daily — and the Thursday email at the top of this page, which delivers each weekend's list. Then: the seniors guide if you're 62+ (or helping parents settle in), the single moms guide for childcare and food help, the construction & road alerts before you start driving across town, and the seasonal guides — Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas in Bartlett.