Oak Park, IL Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Section 5-4-4(A) requires any cat allowed to run at large, four months of age or older, to be licensed within ten days of acquisition or of the owner becoming an Oak Park resident. Indoor-only cats fall outside that trigger, but any cat that does go outside needs the license. Getting one is not automatic: alongside the standard rabies inoculation certificate required for both dogs and cats, section 5-4-4(A) adds a cat-specific condition requiring a certificate that the cat has been sterilized before it can be licensed.

The license itself runs on a calendar cycle, expiring April 30 each year under section 5-4-4(C), and must be renewed rather than transferred to a new animal if the tag is lost. Fees are set in section 5-4-4(G): the standard annual fee applies per animal, with a reduced fee for animals a veterinarian certifies as neutered. Once licensed, section 5-4-9(B) governs behavior outdoors: a cat may run at large in Oak Park only if it is neutered, currently inoculated against rabies, and wearing the license tag for the current year.

A cat that does not meet all three conditions and is found at large is unlawfully at large and, per section 5-4-9(C), can be impounded at the Village's animal control center. Owners of nonresident cats kept temporarily in the Village are exempt from the licensing requirement under section 5-4-4(F), provided the cat carries a license from its home jurisdiction where one is required.