Winnebago County, IL Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Basis for restriction
- Court-declared behavior, not breed
- Answer window after complaint
- 15 days
- Hearing deadline
- Within 45 days of filing
- Required enclosure
- Locked, 6-foot fence minimum
- Annual license fee
- $50.00
Summary
Winnebago County declares dogs "vicious" through a court hearing based on behavior, not breed, then imposes containment, licensing, and signage rules.
(a) Filing of complaint. Whenever the administrator, state's attorney, or any other citizen has reason to believe that any dog is vicious, he may file a complaint in the circuit court in the name of the county, seeking a finding that the dog is vicious. ... (d) Entering of order by court. When, after receiving the evidence presented, the court finds that the dog meets one of the definitions of a vicious dog found in section 14-4, the court shall enter an order finding the dog to be vicious.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
Winnebago County has no breed ban: its Animal Control Ordinance judges dogs by conduct. Anyone, including the county administrator or state's attorney, can file a circuit court complaint alleging a dog is vicious; the owner gets 15 days to answer and a hearing follows within 45 days (Sec. 14-83). If the court enters a vicious-dog finding, the owner must confine the dog in a locked, six-foot enclosure at all times (Sec. 14-82), post warning signs on the property and the enclosure (Sec. 14-88), and obtain a $50 annual license from the animal services administrator within 90 days of the order (Sec. 14-89). A dog found vicious cannot be sold or given away (Sec. 14-87), and one impounded outside its enclosure can be destroyed after a further court order (Sec. 14-85).
Violations & Fines
Keeping an adjudicated vicious dog outside its required enclosure is a public nuisance (Sec. 14-84); unconfined vicious dogs are impounded and the county may seek a court order for destruction by lethal injection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Winnebago County ban pit bulls or other breeds?
How does a dog get officially declared vicious?
What must an owner do once a dog is declared vicious?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Winnebago County
How Winnebago County compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Winnebago County to another location·View the Illinois animal ordinances overview
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