Palatine, IL Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Palatine Village Code § 6-6(a) allows tethering only in a manner authorized by section 3(b) of the Illinois Animal Welfare Act, 510 ILCS 70/3(b). Subsection (b)(1) makes it unlawful to permit any dog or other animal, registered or not, to run at large in the village, defining at large as off the owner's premises and not on a leash, including a retractable leash, tether, chain or rope held by the owner or another person able to control the animal. Where tethering is used, item (a) under that subsection requires tethered dogs to have constant access to water, adequate shelter and dry ground, and bars tethering multiple dogs together without their own separate water and shelter.

Item (b) sets the tether itself at a minimum length of ten feet, attached to a properly fitting collar or harness with a rotating toggle, and bans pinch, prong or choke collars along with wrapping the tether directly around the dog's neck. Item (c) forbids tethering during extreme weather, and item (d) bars tethering any dog within 200 yards of a school. Item (e) separately bans letting a tethered dog bark, whine or howl to the point of nuisance, or letting any animal enter a public body of water, and item (f) requires invisible fencing to be set back at least five feet from the public right-of-way. Enforcement runs through the police department and environmental health division under Sec. 6-15.