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Arlington Heights, IL Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing zoning section
§ 28-6.18, Chapter 28
Permitted zoning districts
B-2 and B-3 only
Village-wide license cap
3 licenses (§ 9-109)
Max dispensaries per band
1 within each of 3 defined bands
Parking requirement
1 space per 200 sq ft floor area
License void if inactive
3 consecutive months closed

Summary

Arlington Heights limits adult-use cannabis dispensaries to the B-2 and B-3 business districts and caps the Village at one dispensary within each of three geographic bands under Zoning Section 28-6.18. A separate business-licensing rule, Section 9-109, tops the citywide total at three cannabis dispensary licenses in force at any time.

6.18Location Restrictions for Adult Use Cannabis Dispensaries. Not more than one adult use cannabis dispensary may be located at any time within each of the following areas of the Village: a.Between the northern boundary of the Village to the north and Hintz Road to the south; b.Between Hintz Road to the north and Central Road to the south; and c.Between White Oak Street the north and the southern boundary of the Village to the south.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 3 Update 2).

Full Breakdown

18, titled Location Restrictions for Adult Use Cannabis Dispensaries, divides the Village into three bands and allows no more than one dispensary in each: the area between the Village's northern boundary and Hintz Road, the area between Hintz Road and Central Road, and the area between White Oak Street and the Village's southern boundary. 1-18 for the location rule; the use is not listed as permitted or special in any other district, including B-1, B-4, B-5, Industrial, Office Transitional or Manufacturing. Section 28-10's off-street parking schedule additionally requires one parking space for each 200 square feet of dispensary floor area.

Business-license Section 9-109 layers a citywide cap on top of the zoning limits: no more than three adult-use cannabis dispensary business licenses may be issued at any time, and an applicant must first show proof of conditional or final State of Illinois cannabis retailer licensure. A licensed dispensary that fails to open within six months of licensure has its license voided absent a Village Board extension, and a license is voided again if an operating dispensary goes inactive, meaning closed to retail sales, for three consecutive months.

Violations & Fines

Section 9-109 makes noncompliance a licensing failure rather than a fine: the Village will not issue a license without proof of State cannabis retailer licensure, and any license issued is deemed null and void if the dispensary does not commence operation within six months or goes inactive for three consecutive months, subject only to a discretionary Village Board extension.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can a cannabis dispensary open in Arlington Heights?
Only in the B-2 or B-3 business districts, per the Permitted Use Table in Zoning Section 5.5-1, and only if it will not create a second dispensary within the same geographic band defined by Zoning Section 28-6.18: north of the Village boundary to Hintz Road, Hintz Road to Central Road, or White Oak Street to the southern Village boundary.
How many cannabis dispensary licenses does Arlington Heights allow?
Business License Section 9-109 caps the Village at three adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses issued at any one time, and each applicant must show conditional or final Illinois cannabis retailer licensure before the Village will issue its own license.
Can a dispensary license lapse for inactivity?
Yes. Section 9-109 voids a dispensary's license if the holder does not begin operating within six months of issuance, absent a Village Board extension, and voids it again if an open dispensary stops selling to the public for three consecutive months.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Arlington Heights

All Arlington Heights rules

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