Bloomington, IL Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Bloomington City Code § 8-201 defines DANGEROUS DOG and VICIOUS DOG based on behavior, bites and prior declarations, not breed, and expressly states that a dangerous-dog finding from another jurisdiction, or a vicious-dog finding based on three prior dangerous-dog findings, cannot rest solely on the dog's breed. A, any person may file a complaint with the Police Department seeking to have a dog declared dangerous, vicious, or subject to euthanasia; the Police Chief or a designee investigates and, if the criteria are met, issues a written declaration explaining the basis, any restrictions, and the right to appeal.

An owner has seven days to request a hearing before an Assistant Police Chief or other hearing officer, who applies the § 8-201 definitions and may weigh the incident's circumstances, injury severity, the dog's size, and its and its owner's prior history; without a timely appeal, the owner has 14 days to comply with the declaration's requirements. Dogs declared dangerous must be micro-chipped, wear a "Dangerous Dog Tag" from McLean County Animal Control renewed annually, and have bite incidents reported immediately; dogs declared vicious face the added requirements of a secure, police-approved enclosure, a muzzle and heavy tether when moved, and $250,000 in liability insurance.