Cook County adopts the Illinois Energy Conservation Code statewide minimum and supplements it with the Cook County Sustainable Building Ordinance for county-owned projects, while many suburbs require LEED, Energy Star, or stretch energy code compliance for private development.
Illinois preempts local energy codes through the Energy Efficient Building Act (20 ILCS 3125), mandating a uniform statewide energy code based on the IECC. Cook County's Sustainable Building Ordinance applies LEED Silver or equivalent to county-funded buildings over 10,000 square feet. Several suburban Cook municipalities (Evanston, Oak Park, Highland Park) have adopted climate action plans requiring private-sector benchmarking, electrification incentives, or green roofs. Chicago has its own Energy Transformation Code. New residential construction must meet IECC 2021 envelope, lighting, and HVAC requirements, verified through blower-door and duct-leakage testing.
Failing IECC envelope or duct-leakage testing prevents certificate of occupancy. Missing benchmarking deadlines in opt-in suburbs triggers escalating administrative fines under local sustainability ordinances.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Cook County, IL
Chicago Fair Workweek Ordinance covers fast food and other large employers within Chicago city limits only. Cook County has not extended predictable scheduli...
Cook County, IL
Illinois has not enacted a healthcare worker minimum wage equivalent to California SB 525. Cook County has no industry-specific healthcare wage ordinance. He...
Cook County, IL
Cook County has not adopted a grocery worker premium wage ordinance like Los Angeles GWRO. Illinois state law sets a $15 statewide minimum wage as of January...
Cook County, IL
Illinois has no statewide utensils-on-request statute. Cook County has not adopted countywide rules. Some Cook suburbs including Evanston restrict automatic ...
Cook County, IL
Illinois Eavesdropping Act 720 ILCS 5/14 makes it a felony to record private conversations without consent of all parties. Doorbell cameras with audio captur...
Cook County, IL
Illinois Lead Poisoning Prevention Act 410 ILCS 45 and Cook County Department of Public Health Childhood Lead Program require lead inspections in pre-1978 re...
See how Cook County's green building code rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.