Will County, IL Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Animal placed under bite observation
- Chip deadline
- At first veterinary exam
- Report deadline
- 24 hours to Animal Protection Services
- Potentially dangerous dogs
- Chipped within 14 days of reclaim
- First-offense fine
- $250 (Section 90.99)
Summary
Will County requires any dog or cat placed under bite-observation quarantine to be microchipped at the first veterinary exam, with the chip number reported to Animal Protection Services within 24 hours.
All dogs and cats under observation, owned by a resident of Will County, shall be implanted with a microchip approved by the Administrator at the time of the first examination unless the animal is to be euthanized. The microchip number shall be reported to Will County Animal Protection Services within 24 hours of the first exam. The biting animal may be confined in the house of its owner in a manner which will prohibit it from biting any person or animal if the Administrator or other licensed veterinarian adjudges such confinement satisfactory.
(1) When the biting animal is currently inoculated with rabies vaccine the animal's health shall be reported by the veterinarian to the Will County Animal Protection Services on the first and tenth days of the observation period for rabies.
(2) When the biting animal is not currently inoculated with rabies vaccine the animal's health shall be reported by the veterinarian to the Will County Animal Protection Services on the first, fifth and tenth days of the observation period for rabies.
(3) When the biting animal is not currently inoculated with rabies vaccine and the owner refuses to have the animal examined by a veterinarian, Will County Animal Protection Services shall impound the animal for a period of ten days. If the animal is not reclaimed by the owner within five days of the end of the observation period, the Administrator will make a determination of placement for the animal.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance No. 24-100, passed 4-18-2024 and Res. 23-387, passed 11-16-2023; and State legislation approved through 2024 Pamphlet #2).
Full Breakdown
05, when an animal has bitten someone, the Administrator places the animal under a licensed veterinarian's observation for ten days. Any dog or cat owned by a Will County resident that is placed under this bite observation must be implanted with a microchip approved by the Administrator at the time of the first examination, unless the animal is to be euthanized, and the owner must have the microchip number reported to Will County Animal Protection Services within 24 hours of that exam. 06(C), a dog designated 'potentially dangerous' for running at large with three or more other dogs must be spayed or neutered and microchipped within 14 days of reclaim from impoundment.
This is not a universal pet-microchipping mandate; it applies only to animals that trigger these enforcement events. 21; check with Joliet, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Plainfield or Lockport if their own police or animal-control department handles bites within city limits.
Violations & Fines
Violating Section 90.05's microchip and reporting duty carries a $250 fine for a first offense, $500 for a second, and $1,000 for a third, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Will County require microchipping every pet?
Who has to report the microchip number?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Will County
Compare Will County to another location·View the Illinois animal ordinances overview
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