An Elmhurst attorney says the city took him to court because he couldn't figure out how to register his business online.

Robert Honig, a downtown lawyer who has mailed in a business license form for 25 years, told the Elmhurst City Council on Tuesday, Oct. 6, that a code enforcement officer visited his office in 2026 and told him he had to register through the city's online portal instead. Honig said he tried and failed, as first reported by Patch.

He said he called City Hall and spoke with employees who couldn't complete the registration for him either. After a second code enforcement visit, Honig went to City Hall in person and was directed to a computer to fill out the form himself. He spent nearly an hour there, with some help from the person behind the desk.

He still couldn't finish.

The sticking point, Honig said, was a prompt requiring him to upload a wastewater plan. His office has two employees and a shared bathroom down the hall.

"I rent a small office in town. We have a total of two people who work there," Honig told the council. "There's a bathroom down the hall that I use a few times a day. I flush the toilet. That's my plan."

The city then took legal action against him for failing to register.

Elmhurst requires all businesses to use its Citizen Self-Service Portal, a Tyler Technologies platform, to apply for or renew a license. Businesses not specifically required by the Municipal Code to hold a license pay a $25 annual registration fee, according to the city's business license page. The portal is the only way to register; paper forms are no longer accepted.

Honig said the system should be simple enough for any small business owner to use. He suggested that code enforcement officers bring laptops on visits so they can help owners register on the spot, rather than simply citing them for noncompliance.

The council did not respond to Honig's comments, following its standard policy on public comment. No city official has publicly addressed the substance of Honig's complaint about the portal as of Oct. 6, and no committee referral or review of the system was announced.

The City Clerk's office can be reached at (630) 530-3010 for business license questions.