Tinley Park, IL Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Designation authority
- Hearing Officer or court after evidentiary hearing
- Liability insurance
- $100,000 minimum or surety bond
- Confinement
- 6-ft fenced yard or locked enclosure
- Alter/microchip deadline
- Within 14 days of designation
- Behavior evaluation
- Within 180 days of designation
- Penalty range
- $50 to $750 per § 10.99
Summary
Tinley Park does not ban dog breeds by name. Instead, § 91.05 lets the Hearing Officer or a court declare an individual dog “dangerous” after an evidentiary hearing on its behavior, then imposes secure confinement, muzzling, $100,000 liability insurance, mandatory microchipping and behavioral evaluation on the owner, with a separate “vicious dog” tier that can lead to euthanasia.
(A) Designation of dangerous dogs. A dog shall be designated as a dangerous dog when the Hearing Officer or a court having jurisdiction, at the request of the Police Department or Animal Control, has conducted an evidentiary hearing, heard and considered evidence pertaining to the temperament of the dog, and has entered an order determining that the dog behaved in the manner described in § 91.01, “dangerous dog”, and designating the dog as a dangerous dog. ... (B) Restrictions on dangerous dogs. It shall be unlawful to keep, harbor, possess, maintain or have care or custody of a dangerous dog within the village except upon compliance with each and all of the following restrictions at the expense of the owner: ... 2. Within a fully fenced yard enclosed on all sides by fencing at least six feet in height and locks securely;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-40: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance 2026-O-007, passed 2-17-2026, Resolution 2018-R-077, passed 10-2-18, and State legislation current through 2010 Pamphlet No. 7).
Full Breakdown
01 definition: a dog that has bitten without causing serious injury, chased or menaced someone in a public place, or already been designated dangerous elsewhere. 05(B): the dog must live in a locked enclosure, a yard fenced at least six feet high on all sides, or on a tether meeting the Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act while muzzled and supervised; front and rear signage warning of a dangerous dog is mandatory. In public the dog must be on a nonretractable leash no longer than six feet and muzzled.
Within 180 days the owner must obtain a behaviorist evaluation and complete any recommended training; within 14 days the dog must be altered and microchipped, and the owner must carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance or a surety bond covering bites. Selling or transferring the dog requires written notice of the designation to the new keeper. 05(G), triggered by an unprovoked attack causing serious injury or death, or two dangerous-dog findings, requires confinement in an enclosure at all times except for veterinary care or emergencies and can end in a court-ordered euthanasia. Dogs already designated dangerous or vicious in another jurisdiction are treated the same way the moment they move into the village.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a dangerous dog without meeting every § 91.05(B) restriction is unlawful and exposes the owner to the general penalty under § 10.99: a fine of $50 to $750, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. The Hearing Officer can revoke the dog's license, order it permanently removed from the village within 14 days at the owner's expense, or, if it is returned afterward or found vicious a second time, order it humanely destroyed. A noncompliant dangerous dog is declared a public nuisance and may be impounded immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tinley Park ban pit bulls or other breeds?
What must I do once my dog is designated dangerous?
Can a vicious dog be euthanized?
What happens if I move to Tinley Park with a dog already labeled dangerous elsewhere?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tinley Park
How Tinley Park compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Tinley Park to another location·View the Illinois animal ordinances overview
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Breed Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle breed restrictions.