McHenry County's Public Health Ordinance requires every dog to be restrained or controlled so it cannot run at large. Off the owner's property a dog must be on a leash held by a competent person. Loose animals are declared a public nuisance and impounded.
Article VI of the McHenry County Public Health Ordinance (§ 8.04.820–.870) governs unincorporated areas plus enforcement countywide through the Department of Health, Division of Veterinary Health (Animal Control). "Restraint" requires a dog off its owner's property to be controlled by a leash held by a competent person, confined in a vehicle, or otherwise commonly controlled. Any dog found running at large is declared a public nuisance, apprehended and impounded. Incorporated cities (Crystal Lake, Woodstock, McHenry, Algonquin) add their own leash rules, so residents inside city limits should check the municipal code too.
Running at large is a public nuisance; the animal is impounded and the owner pays impound plus daily boarding fees. Ordinance fines are set under § 8.04.940.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
mchenry-county-il
Crystal Lake collects yard waste and food-scrap compost weekly at the curb from April 1 through November 30. Leaves and grass must go in biodegradable paper ...
mchenry-county-il
Crystal Lake and McHenry County have no ordinance specifically banning or approving residential artificial turf. Installations must still meet Unified Develo...
mchenry-county-il
Illinois' Homeowners' Native Landscaping Act bars community associations from banning native-species plantings that are kept free of weeds and don't encroach...
mchenry-county-il
Neither Crystal Lake nor McHenry County prohibits residential rain barrels or rainwater collection, and Illinois has no statewide ban. The McHenry County Sto...
mchenry-county-il
Crystal Lake uses a color-coded water-conservation system. During a declared 'Yellow' condition, odd-numbered addresses water on odd dates and even addresses...
mchenry-county-il
Crystal Lake Chapter 526 lists noxious weeds - burdock, ragweed, thistle, poison ivy, wild mustard and others - plus any unmanaged vegetation as nuisance gre...
See how McHenry County's dog leash laws rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.