Bloomington, IL

Composting is allowed in the City of Bloomington only in an approved bin, using only organic material grown on the same property, and only if kept free of odor. City Code makes each…

Bloomington caps grass and weeds at eight inches on any property in the city and declares taller growth, plus overgrown or dead vegetation, a public nuisance the owner must correct…

In the City of Bloomington, no one may trim limbs five inches or more in diameter or remove a tree from a public place, such as a street parkway or park, without first getting a permit…

In the City of Bloomington, anyone who owns a tree on property next to a public street, sidewalk, or right-of-way must trim it so overhanging limbs keep at least nine feet of clearance…

In the City of Bloomington, landscape watering days are unrestricted until the City Manager proclaims a drought under the Water Emergency Response Ordinance. Once a severe drought is…

Illinois has never adopted a statewide plumbing standard for rainwater harvesting. The Department of Public Health proposed one in December 2018, but it never took effect, and the…

Bloomington requires a City Manager-issued permit before building a swimming pool or making major alterations to one, with a narrow exemption for portable pools holding 1,000 gallons…

Bloomington requires every swimming pool other than a portable aboveground unit to be completely surrounded by a fence or wall at least 42 inches high, with gates fitted with…

In the City of Bloomington, feeding wild birds not held in captivity is illegal within a defined downtown territory bounded by Chestnut Street, Prairie Street, Oakland Avenue and Lee…

In the City of Bloomington, it is illegal to be cruel to any animal or bird, and separately illegal to kill, wound or shoot at any bird or squirrel anywhere in the city, including on…

In the City of Bloomington, every dog owner must keep the dog under restraint at all times, on or off the owner's premises, under § 8-206, meaning secure enclosure or a leash of…

In the City of Bloomington, cats must stay on their owner's premises unless under physical control, and every dog or cat must carry current McLean County registration and rabies…

In the City of Bloomington, dogs are declared dangerous or vicious through a Police Department complaint and hearing process, and § 8-201 specifically bars any such finding from…

In the City of Bloomington, any dog formally declared dangerous or vicious by the Police Department must be spayed or neutered under § 8-208, a mandate tied to the declaration rather…

Bloomington's Zoning Code sets location standards for veterinary offices and clinics at § 44-1035: a clinic cannot sit within 300 feet of a Residential District boundary, must enclose…

In the City of Bloomington, Zoning Code Section 44-1005 lets residents keep honey bees only if hives sit at least 10 feet from any property line, are registered with the Illinois…

In the City of Bloomington, Zoning Code Section 44-1011 permits up to four chickens as an accessory use on lots one acre or smaller with a home, preschool, or school, plus one more…

Illinois prohibits private possession of dangerous animals including big cats, bears, wolves, and primates under the Dangerous Animals Act, with limited exempt categories.

Illinois defines and criminalizes companion animal hoarding under the Humane Care for Animals Act, applying uniformly through state criminal code statewide.

In the City of Bloomington, City Code § 4-401 bans burning garbage, yard waste, construction debris and structures anywhere in the city. Grilling and small recreational fires in an…

In the City of Bloomington, apartment building owners must supply, install and maintain every smoke detector before a tenant takes possession, while tenants handle day-to-day testing…

In the City of Bloomington, anyone installing liquefied petroleum gas equipment such as propane tanks must first get a permit from the Bureau of Fire Prevention and build to PA…

In the City of Bloomington, private possession, sale and use of consumer fireworks is flatly illegal under the Bloomington Fireworks Code. Only licensed pyrotechnic operators running a…

In the City of Bloomington, Section 4-401(C) allows recreational fires only in an approved container or fire pit: a device built for wood or charcoal, capped at three feet in diameter…

In the City of Bloomington, keeping any animal that howls, barks or makes other unreasonably loud or disturbing sounds that disturb neighbors' peace is illegal under § 8-108, with…

In the City of Bloomington, Illinois, City Code § 28-194(D)(1) bans operating loudspeakers, radios, sound amplifiers or other sound-reproducing devices loud enough to disturb the peace…

In the City of Bloomington, Illinois, City Code § 28-194(D)(3) confines the creation, demolition, alteration or repair of any structure or public improvement, including excavation, to…

In the City of Bloomington, Illinois, City Code § 28-194(E) prohibits any continuous, predictable or recurring sound source from exceeding 70 dB(A), measured with an A-weighted sound…

In the City of Bloomington, Illinois, City Code § 29-1102 bars operating a motor vehicle that makes unusually loud or unnecessary noise, requires every vehicle to have a working…

In the City of Bloomington, the S-1 Aircraft Noise Impact District overlays land near Central Illinois Regional Airport within the 60 and 65 Ldn noise contours. Inside the 65 Ldn zone…

In the City of Bloomington, Illinois, City Code § 29-1401 bars stopping, standing or parking in front of any driveway, within three feet of a driveway on a residential street, or…

In the City of Bloomington, curb loading zones are marked spaces the City Traffic Engineer designates and signs for freight loading, and City Code § 29-1410 caps commercial vehicles at…

In the City of Bloomington, the Director of Public Works can declare a snow emergency under City Code § 29-1417 once falling snow or ice, or a forecast of two inches or more of snow or…

In the City of Bloomington, heavy trucks may not park at any time on streets abutting residentially zoned property under City Code § 29-1609. The ban reaches R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, R-2…

In the City of Bloomington, City Code § 29-1810 (Schedule X) bars parking between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on posted alternate-side streets inside a mapped zone bounded by Gridley…

In the City of Bloomington, § 29-2204 of the City Code lets residents obtain up to two parking permits per address, valid only for passenger cars, so they can park inside posted permit…

In the City of Bloomington, § 29-2206(A) of the City Code requires that any unregistered, uninspected or inoperable motor vehicle or trailer on residential property be kept inside a…

In the City of Bloomington, § 29-2206(B) of the City Code caps outdoor vehicle storage on R1-A, R1-B, R1-C, R-2 and GAP-district residential lots at four registered, operable vehicles…

The City of Bloomington does not require any parking lot to add electric vehicle charging, but § 44-1210(C) of the Zoning Code lets any parking space citywide carry a power outlet or…

In the R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, R-1H and R-2 Districts of the City of Bloomington, City Code Section 44-404D(2)(b) bans off-street parking in the front yard except on an approved driveway…

Illinois runs two layers of private-property towing law, and which one you are under depends on the county. Statewide, 625 ILCS 5/4-203(f) governs every nonconsensual tow from private…

Retaining walls in the City of Bloomington fall under the zoning code's landscaping article rather than a stand-alone wall permit. § 44-1303(A)(21) requires any landscape plan…

In the City of Bloomington, no fence can go up without a permit from the Development Services Department first, under Code § 44-910A(2); the property owner, not the City, is…

In the City of Bloomington, residential fences are capped at 4 feet in a required front yard and 6 feet in a side, rear or corner-lot secondary front yard under Table 910 of Code §…

In the City of Bloomington, residential fences cannot be built of wire mesh, barbed wire, an electrically charged fence or sharp-edged toppers under Code § 44-910C(1); chain-link is…

Under the Illinois Fence Act (765 ILCS 130/3), adjoining landowners must each build and maintain a just proportion of the division fence between their properties. A legal fence stands…

In the City of Bloomington, section 44-1020.A(5) of the zoning code bans signage for any home occupation outright. A homeowner running a permitted home-based business under the city's…

In the City of Bloomington, section 44-1020 of the zoning code allows a home occupation as an accessory use only in the Agricultural and Residential Districts, and only inside the…

In the City of Bloomington, section 44-1020.A(6) of the zoning code bars a home occupation from generating pedestrian, automobile, or truck traffic significantly above the normal…

Illinois runs its cottage food program out of 410 ILCS 625/4, and the current text sets no ceiling at all on what a cottage food operation may sell. Paragraph (1) of subsection (b) is…

In the City of Bloomington, sheds and other detached accessory buildings on residential lots are capped at 14 feet tall, must sit at least 10 feet from the house and 3 feet from a side…

In the City of Bloomington, an accessory dwelling unit needs a special use permit under Code § 44-908E, capped at 800 square feet or half the primary home's size, placed behind the…

In the City of Bloomington, an accessory dwelling unit is only allowed on a lot where the primary house is a single-family detached home and the owner's own residence, under Code §…

Illinois imposes a 6% state Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax on short-term rentals of fewer than 30 consecutive days, including platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, applied uniformly…

In the City of Bloomington, anyone taking pledges of property for pawn loans or issuing pawn tickets operates under the same license required of secondhand dealers, junk dealers, and…

Bloomington bans operating a massage or bodywork establishment without a City license, subject to exemptions for licensed medical professionals and sole-proprietor massage therapists…

In the City of Bloomington, § 29-2502 of the City Code lets a commercial vehicle relocator tow an unauthorized vehicle from private property only with authorization from the property…

In the City of Bloomington, retailers must hold a City Clerk-issued license before selling tobacco at retail, and the chapter's tobacco product definition expressly reaches electronic…

In the City of Bloomington, section 44-1020.A(11) of the zoning code bans automobile-based businesses, including towing, taxi, and repair services, from operating as a home occupation…

A sexually oriented entertainment business needs a City Clerk license to operate anywhere in Bloomington, and it can only sit in the B-1, B-2 or B-3 zoning districts, at least 1,000…

In the City of Bloomington, City Code Section 32-102 makes it unlawful to operate as an auctioneer, junk dealer, or secondhand dealer without a license from the City Clerk. Licensing…

In the City of Bloomington, disturbing more than 5,000 square feet of land, or more than 1,000 square feet within 25 feet of a lake, pond, stream, or wetland, or moving more than 100…

Bloomington caps Lake Bloomington dock permits at 245 total and limits them to Lake leaseholders who live on the leased property, charging a $250 application fee and a $50 annual…

In the City of Bloomington, any building protected from flood damage in the floodplain must have its lowest floor, including the basement, at or above the flood protection elevation…

In the City of Bloomington, no one may build, fill, grade, or otherwise develop land inside a mapped floodplain without first getting a development permit from the Engineering…

The City of Bloomington operates a Stormwater Utility under the Public Works Department that manages the city's stormwater system and bills a monthly service charge to every parcel…

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program regulates Lake Michigan shoreline development, applying uniform permit requirements along the entire Illinois…

Bloomington's nuisance-weeds ordinance applies to any lot or tract of land in the city, improved or not, so vacant and unimproved lots carry the same eight-inch height cap and…

In the City of Bloomington, keeping a dangerous or abandoned building standing is itself illegal. Bloomington City Code § 10-324 bars owners from maintaining or occupying a dangerous…

In the City of Bloomington's central business district, City Code § 38-229 requires every owner and occupant to clear snow and ice from the sidewalk fronting their building within four…

Bloomington's rat control article requires business buildings to be ratproofed and cleared of rats when the Department of Health finds infestation, with a three-day compliance window…

In the City of Bloomington, City Code § 6-133D makes it illegal to carry an open container of alcohol on any street, highway or public property. Narrow exceptions cover three City golf…

In the City of Bloomington, it is illegal to urinate or defecate on public property, including parks, streets, parkways, sidewalks and public building floors, or anywhere else the act…

In the City of Bloomington, it is unlawful to loiter or congregate on a stairway, doorway, street corner or in front of a business so as to block anyone's free passage, or to annoy…

In the City of Bloomington, using cannabis or cannabis-infused products in any public place is unlawful under City Code § 28-190.A(C), alongside bans on use in school buses…

In the City of Bloomington, Illinois, City Code §§ 29-1005 and 29-1006 require pedestrians to cross a roadway at right angles to the curb or by the shortest route to the far curb, and…

In the City of Bloomington, § 29-2112(G) of the City Code bars riding, standing, sitting, kneeling or otherwise using a skateboard, bicycle or roller skates in any off-street City…

In the City of Bloomington, smoking is banned within 15 feet of any public entrance to an area where smoking is prohibited, a rule that reaches outdoor patios attached to bars and…

In the City of Bloomington, § 31-905 of the City Code requires a permit from the Parks and Recreation Director before holding a special event or organized activity, such as a family…

In the City of Bloomington, any outdoor gathering of 300 or more attendees per day counts as a "festival" and needs a Festival License from the City Clerk before it can occur, unless…

In the City of Bloomington, organizing or participating in a parade without a permit from the Special Events Committee is illegal; applications must be filed with the City Clerk 30 to…

A Bloomington restaurant that wants to serve food and drinks on the public sidewalk needs an annual sidewalk cafe permit from the Director of Public Works. The permit is limited to the…

Anyone who wants to close off part of a Bloomington street, parking lane or sidewalk for a private event must get an obstruction permit from the Public Works Department at least 24…

In the City of Bloomington, planting a tree in a public right-of-way or parkway requires a City Forester permit, and the tree must be at least one inch in trunk diameter, spaced at…

In the City of Bloomington, no one may plant Ailanthus altissima, the Tree of Heaven, or roughly 30 other listed species, in the public right-of-way; the City Forester enforces the ban…

Bloomington's landscaping code bans planting seven named invasive species anywhere landscaping is installed to satisfy the Zoning Code. § 44-1305(R)(1) and Table 1305R in the City of…

The City of Bloomington runs an every-other-week curbside recycling program for residential buildings under City Code § 21-601, though the Downtown Service Area is carved out of…

The City of Bloomington provides refuse collection only to single-family homes and multifamily buildings with six or fewer units; buildings with more units get no City pickup at all…

In the City of Bloomington, garbage is collected once a week on a route schedule the Director of Public Works sets, and yard debris is picked up every other week under City Code §…

Bloomington collects bulk and building waste curbside every other week under City Code § 21-307. The first bucket per pickup is free, each additional bucket is billed at the Schedule…

The City of Bloomington collects refuse and recycling on every holiday that falls on a normal route day except Christmas Day. Under City Code § 21-306, Christmas collection simply…

Bloomington collects yard debris such as brush and leaves every other week under City Code § 21-305(B); brush not in a container must be cut to six feet or less under § 21-401(B), and…

Bloomington requires refuse containers to stay screened on the owner's property except from 2:00 p.m. the day before pickup to 9:00 a.m. the day after, under City Code § 21-403…

Bloomington limits curbside recycling to City-issued 65- or 95-gallon wheeled carts, defines recyclables as aluminum and steel cans, glass bottles and jars, plastic #1 and #2 bottles…

In the City of Bloomington, dumping or depositing garbage, refuse or debris on undeveloped private or public property is a misdemeanor under City Code § 28-119. A first conviction is…

Commercial trash and recycling dumpsters in the City of Bloomington must be sited away from street frontages and required parking, then screened on all sides to at least six feet. §…

In the City of Bloomington, it is a misdemeanor to be found sleeping on any street, avenue, alley or other public place, or on private property without the owner's consent. City Code §…

In the City of Bloomington, City Code Section 31-605 bars anyone from pitching a tent, shack or other temporary shelter, or leaving a house trailer or camp wagon overnight, in any…

In the City of Bloomington, the Water Department runs its own leak-detection survey and must correct any leak greater than 100 gallons per minute within 72 hours of learning about it…

In the City of Bloomington, any bar, nightclub or other premises that projects loud and raucous noise onto neighboring property violates City Code § 28-194, whether the complaint is…

In the City of Bloomington, Illinois, City Code § 28-194(D)(5) restricts noisy blowers, power fans and internal combustion engines, including portable generators, to the hours between…

In the City of Bloomington, Illinois, City Code § 28-194 bans loud and raucous noise from loading or unloading vehicles, or opening and destroying boxes, crates and containers…

In the City of Bloomington, energy-efficient construction runs on the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code, adopted by ordinance under Bloomington City Code § 10-209. The code…

In the City of Bloomington, construction work generally needs a permit before it starts, and skipping that step costs extra. Bloomington City Code § 10-401 (Sec. 105.10.2) sets a…

In the City of Bloomington, the Department of Economic & Community Development, called the Department of Building Safety under Chapter 10, inspects permitted work, and Bloomington City…

In the City of Bloomington, one- and two-family homes are not required to install automatic fire sprinklers: the city deleted the IRC's mandatory sprinkler sections entirely. Instead…

In the City of Bloomington, all electrical wiring, alteration or repair runs on the 2020 National Electrical Code, adopted under Bloomington City Code § 15-301. No wiring work may…

Every residential occupancy in the City of Bloomington that burns fossil fuel for heat, cooking, ventilation, or hot water, or that connects directly to a garage, must have a working…

A vacant commercial building in Bloomington must keep its exterior doors equipped with working locking hardware, and any exit door it keeps open for egress has to be secured with an…

The City of Bloomington adopts the Illinois State Plumbing Code as its own under City Code Section 34-101, and Section 34-301 requires a permit from the City's Plumbing Inspector…

In the City of Bloomington, holiday decoration signs skip the usual sign permit entirely under Section 3-802(E): a decorative sign tied to a national, local, or religious holiday can…

In the City of Bloomington, a freestanding sign built to catch traffic on I-55 or I-74 can rise far above the normal cap: Section 3-501 lets a freestanding sign reach 100 feet within…

In the City of Bloomington, any sign the Advertising Sign Code otherwise allows, other than a nameplate, may use a digital or automatic changeable-copy display, but Section 3-508(C)…

In the City of Bloomington, a ground-floor business outside a residential zone can paint or display permanent signs on the inside of its windows or showcases without counting them…

Illinois condominium law bars board rules that impair First Amendment rights, protecting unit owners' political sign displays, but no comparable statute covers HOA political signs…

In the City of Bloomington, putting up a historic marker, historical or cultural interpretive signage, or naming a City street or property after a historic figure on City-owned…

In the City of Bloomington, Section 4-401 bans burning garbage, yard waste, or construction debris outright but expressly permits outdoor grills and barbecues for cooking, so a…

Bloomington regulates large data centers under City Code § 44-1048, requiring administrative site plan approval, articulated facades with windows or material changes along public…

In the City of Bloomington, taxicab and transportation network company (TNC) vehicles may pick up and drop off riders only at vehicle stands the City designates and signs under City…

In the City of Bloomington, cyclists on a roadway must ride as far right as practicable and may not ride more than two abreast except on a dedicated bicycle path, under City Code §…

Illinois runs two different regimes and the answer depends entirely on which vehicle you own. A golf cart is a non-highway vehicle under 625 ILCS 5/11-1426.1, and driving one on any…

In the City of Bloomington, sidewalk repair, reconstruction and new construction abutting non-commercial, non-industrial property is funded through a special assessment: the abutting…

Bloomington City Code keeps every sidewalk, street and alley free of anything that blocks foot traffic. Standing, sitting or piling belongings on a sidewalk to block passage is a…

Placing steps, awnings, planters, signs or sidewalk sales on a Bloomington sidewalk next to your building requires a sidewalk encroachment permit from the Engineering Department. The…

In the City of Bloomington, a 6% tax applies to renting a hotel, motel or short-term residential unit room, collected by the owner, operator or facilitator and remitted to the Finance…

In the City of Bloomington, the A-Agriculture District is set aside for land best suited to farming or awaiting development, and it permits agriculture, apiaries, aquaculture…

The Farm Nuisance Suit Act shields established Illinois farms from nuisance lawsuits when the operation predates surrounding non-agricultural land uses by at least one year.

The City of Bloomington regulates solar panel installation under Zoning Code § 44-1031, permitting building or roof-mounted panels on any principal or accessory structure but capping…

Illinois voids any association bylaw, board action, deed restriction or covenant that prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting a solar energy system, under 765 ILCS 165/15 and 765…

Bloomington bans every adult-use cannabis business type except dispensing organizations, and even dispensaries need a special use permit under City Code § 44-1039; no more than two may…

Bloomington's adult-use cannabis rules keep dispensaries away from sensitive uses and each other: City Code § 44-1039(H)(1) bars a dispenser within 500 feet of a school, day care…

Illinois law permits home cannabis cultivation only by registered medical patients, capped at five plants per household, and preempts local bans or expansions of recreational home grow.

Bloomington caps building coverage at 45% of the lot in its R-D Downtown Neighborhood Residence District, the only residential zone in the City of Bloomington's Zoning Code that states…

In the City of Bloomington, front, side and rear yard setbacks for homes are set district by district in Table 403A of City Code Section 44-403. R-1A lots need a 40-foot front yard…

The City of Bloomington's Zoning Ordinance caps residential building height by district under City Code Section 44-403. R-1A, R-1B, R-1C and R-1H homes are limited to 35 feet or 2.5…

Every owner of a Bloomington building with residential rental units, occupied or vacant, must file an annual registration statement with the Department of Economic & Community…

Rental units in the City of Bloomington must meet the International Property Maintenance Code as locally amended by Bloomington City Code § 45-201: interior surfaces have to stay…

Illinois requires a 5-day written notice for nonpayment of rent (735 ILCS 5/9-209), a 10-day notice to quit for lease violations (735 ILCS 5/9-210), and a 30-day termination notice for…

Under 735 ILCS 5/9-207, ending a month-to-month or other tenancy under one year requires 30 days' written notice; a week-to-week tenancy requires 7 days. The statute lets the landlord…

Illinois has no statewide rent control and no cap on rent increases. The Rent Control Preemption Act, 50 ILCS 825, bars every unit of local government, including home rule cities, from…

Illinois has no statewide statute setting a maximum rent increase or a dedicated advance-notice period for raising rent, and the Rent Control Preemption Act (50 ILCS 825) bars local…

Illinois sets no statewide cap on residential security deposits. Under the Security Deposit Return Act, 765 ILCS 710, a landlord of a building with 5 or more units who keeps any of a…

Adverse possession in Illinois generally requires 20 years of possession (735 ILCS 5/13-101). The period drops to 7 years when the occupant holds under claim and color of title 'made…

Anyone who suspects a zoning, building, or land use violation in the City of Bloomington can file a written complaint with the Director of Development Services under Bloomington City…

A Bloomington rental building can be pulled into the City's mandatory rental inspection pool if it is the subject of a substantiated tenant complaint about a life, health, or safety…

The City of Bloomington runs a mandatory Rental Inspection Pool under Bloomington City Code § 45-201 (Section 900) to enforce property maintenance, life-safety, and health codes in…

In the City of Bloomington, section 44-911 of the zoning code requires every outdoor light fixture in any zoning district to be shielded and directed away from adjoining lots and the…

In the City of Bloomington, section 44-911.D(8) of the zoning code caps how bright outdoor lighting can be at the edge of a property. New outdoor lighting cannot exceed 1 foot-candle…

In the City of Bloomington, section 44-1027.B of the zoning code sets three site-specific rules for where mobile food and beverage vending can set up: the vendor needs the property…

In the City of Bloomington, section 44-1027 of the zoning code requires every mobile food and beverage vending business to be licensed with the City under section 38-923 and to operate…

Selling food, drinks or merchandise from a stand or vehicle on a Bloomington sidewalk or street requires a vendor's license from the City Clerk. Fixed sidewalk locations must be at…

The City of Bloomington regulates its downtown core through three zoning districts rather than a separate design-guide document: D-1 Central Business, D-2 Downtown Transitional, and…

In the City of Bloomington, City Code Section 31-901 closes Constitution Trail from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise, closes Friendship Park from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00…

Illinois imposes a statewide juvenile curfew barring minors under 17 from public places late at night under Section 12C-60 of the Criminal Code, which replaced the repealed Child…

In the City of Bloomington, City Code Section 33-102 requires anyone who wants to go door-to-door soliciting sales, orders, subscriptions, or charitable donations at residences to…

In the City of Bloomington, City Code Section 33-105 lets each household decide whether solicitors may call at their door, and Section 33-106 requires that choice be posted on a…

In the City of Bloomington, a residential property can host no more than three garage or group sales a year under Code § 44-907E. Each sale is capped at three consecutive days or two…

Illinois preempts local drone regulation through the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act, establishing uniform privacy rules while federal FAA authority controls airspace operation…

The Paid Leave for All Workers Act guarantees up to 40 hours of paid leave annually for nearly every Illinois employee, with limited carve-outs for jurisdictions with existing…

Illinois issues shall-issue concealed carry licenses through the Illinois State Police under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, with statewide preemption of local handgun carry rules.

Illinois preempts most local firearm regulation under the FOID Card Act and Wildlife Code, leaving home rule cities limited authority over assault weapons and certain narrow areas.

Illinois bans open carry of firearms in public under the Criminal Code, allowing concealed carry only by Firearm Concealed Carry Act licensees with limited exceptions.

Illinois law sets uniform rules for transporting firearms in vehicles under the FOID Card Act and Firearm Concealed Carry Act, preempting local handgun transport ordinances.

Illinois doesn't let cities zone in casinos on their own: the Illinois Gambling Act (230 ILCS 10/7) hands out a fixed number of state owners licenses, each tied by statute to one named…

Illinois nonprofits need a Department of Revenue license before running charitable games, capped at 4 days a year, with single bets at house-banked games limited to $20 and cash…

Illinois law makes it a crime to play any game of chance or skill for money unless the activity fits one of fifteen narrow exemptions listed in 720 ILCS 5/28-1(b): the state lottery…

Illinois legalized sports betting under the Sports Wagering Act, but only through an operator holding a Board-issued master sports wagering license. The Illinois Gaming Board licenses…

The Common Interest Community Association Act (765 ILCS 160) governs Illinois HOA budgets and assessments but, unlike the Condominium Property Act, it creates no statutory assessment…

Illinois gives association members open meetings and a records right, but the deadlines and the cost rules differ depending on which Act governs your association. A condominium owner…

Illinois HOAs enforce their declaration, bylaws, and rules under the Common Interest Community Association Act. Rule violations are pursued through the 765 ILCS 160/1-30(g) fine power…

Illinois protects native plantings, not xeriscape and not artificial turf. The Homeowners' Native Landscaping Act, 765 ILCS 167, effective July 19, 2024, bars an association from…

Since January 1, 2024 the Illinois Electric Vehicle Charging Act has voided any covenant, deed restriction or governing-document provision that prohibits or unreasonably restricts…

An Illinois association board may not prohibit a unit owner from displaying the American flag or a military flag on the owner's limited common elements or on the immediately adjacent…

Illinois puts no dollar limit on association fines. Both statutes say only that the board may levy reasonable fines, and neither sets a maximum, a daily cap or a cure period. What…

Unpaid assessments on an Illinois condominium unit become a statutory lien under 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1), and once the board of managers records notice of that lien it may foreclose it in…

Illinois runs the opposite way from states that protect owners who rent. There is no statutory cap on how much leasing an Illinois association may prohibit, no minimum lease term, no…

Illinois holds roadside safety checks, but the General Assembly never wrote a statute authorising or regulating them. The Illinois Vehicle Code mentions checkpoints exactly once, in a…

Illinois writes the right to film police directly into its eavesdropping statute. 720 ILCS 5/14-2(e) says nothing in the eavesdropping article prohibits any individual who is not a law…

Illinois gives officers a demand power without giving them a penalty to back it. Under 725 ILCS 5/107-14(a) a peace officer who has identified himself as such may stop a person in a…

Illinois has no statute that requires an officer to warn you that you may refuse a vehicle search, but it does require the officer to write the request down. 625 ILCS 5/11-212 makes…

Illinois prohibits sale of any tobacco, alternative nicotine, and electronic cigarette product to persons under 21 under the Prevention of Tobacco Use by Persons under 21 Act.

Illinois runs a closed list for vehicle lighting. Under 625 ILCS 5/12-212(c), all lighting on a vehicle other than what the Vehicle Code expressly authorises is prohibited, so the…

Illinois never lists permitted windshield zones for a dash cam the way Florida and Texas do. It applies a materiality test instead: 625 ILCS 5/12-503(c-5) prohibits driving with…

Lane splitting is not lawful in Illinois. The Vehicle Code never uses the phrase, but 625 ILCS 5/11-703(c) makes the maneuver itself unlawful: a two-wheeled vehicle passing on the left…

Illinois does not ask whether a plate cover obscures the plate. 625 ILCS 5/3-413(g) makes it unlawful to operate any motor vehicle equipped with a registration plate cover, full stop…

A radar detector is legal in an ordinary Illinois passenger car. The only detector ban in the Illinois Vehicle Code, 625 ILCS 5/12-714, reaches a driver who operates or is in actual…

Illinois gets lake-effect snow and still bans studded tires outright. Section 12-401 of the Illinois Vehicle Code forbids operating a vehicle on an improved highway if any road wheel…

Illinois bans tinted film on the front windshield except a nonreflective strip running no more than 6 inches down from the top, and bars any window treatment on the windows immediately…