Chicago, IL

Chicago requires smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside sleeping areas, on every dwelling story, and at the top of interior exit stairways.

Chicago's code makes it unlawful to burn wood, paper, leaves, or any combustible material in open fires or metal containers: a ban that reaches ordinary backyard fire pits unless…

Chicago bans storing or using LP-gas inside most buildings and covered outdoor areas, including large apartment buildings with an occupant load over 20 people.

Possessing, using, or selling fireworks is banned citywide except for permitted public displays; violators face civil fines up to $500 or criminal fines and jail for use, sale, or…

Chicago bans burning paper, wood, garbage, leaves, construction debris, or other combustible material in open fires or metal containers, enforced under the city's environmental…

Chicago bars licensees from renting out a single-family home or a unit in a 2-4 unit building as a vacation rental unless it is their primary residence, with narrow exceptions.

Chicago pulls a short-term rental's platform listing after just two nuisance incidents in 12 months, alongside eleven other ineligibility triggers.

Chicago requires every shared housing host to register each rental unit with the city, obtain a unique registration number, and post it before advertising or booking.

Airbnb, Vrbo and every other booking platform operating in Chicago must hold an intermediary license and may not process a single booking for a short-term rental that isn't registered…

Chicago taxes short-term rentals at 10.5% total: a 4.5% base hotel tax plus 4% and 2% homeless-services and domestic-violence surcharges.

Chicago caps shared housing rentals at two guests per bedroom, or the building code's lower posted capacity, whichever is less.

Chicago's shared housing ordinance bans excessive loud noise from short-term rentals between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., measured against a 100-foot conversational-level standard, with fines…

Chicago requires every vacation rental listing to state whether the unit has parking availability or restrictions, alongside ADA-accessibility and amenity disclosures, before it can…

Cook County's zoning ordinance splits short-term rentals into two tracks based on whether the host is present. A 'Supervised' rental, host on site during the stay, only needs a…

Cook County taxes short-term and vacation rentals of houses, condos and apartments at 1% of the rental charge under the Hotel Accommodations Tax Ordinance, and requires every owner or…

Unincorporated Cook County does not have a dedicated short-term rental licensing or insurance ordinance. Short-term rentals in unincorporated areas fall under the Residential Rental…

Chicago does not require a cat license, only dogs need one, but owners must still vaccinate cats against rabies every three years and keep them under restraint, or face a $300 fine for…

Chicago won't return an impounded dog or cat to its owner without first microchipping, rabies-vaccinating, and, if the animal can still reproduce, sterilizing it, unless a vet or…

Chicago's Municipal Code defines a dangerous or vicious animal by what it does, biting, attacking, fighting, or guarding, never by breed; no dog breed is banned or restricted citywide.

Chicago pet shops cannot sell dogs, cats, or rabbits at all: only adoption space for shelters and rescues is allowed.

Chicago bars owning or keeping any animal for food or slaughter at home; only eggs and milk are exempt.

Any dog or cat impounded by Chicago Animal Care and Control must be microchipped before it's returned to its owner, unless a vet certifies the procedure would endanger the animal.

Chicago requires anyone operating a dog or cat grooming business to hold a City animal care license and follow sanitation standards for grooming areas and equipment.

Veterinary clinics are barred from Chicago's B1 and B2 shopping districts but permitted by-right in B3, C1, C2, C3 and manufacturing zones.

Chicago prohibits hunting or killing game birds anywhere in the city except three narrow lakefront districts, where hunters are limited to shotguns fired at least 750 feet from any…

Chicago Animal Care and Control runs a coyote program built on public education and humane hazing; lethal force is authorized only after specific aggressive or injurious incidents.

Chicago allows residential beekeeping as an accessory use but caps every property at five honeybee colonies.

Chicago requires anyone keeping a wild or nondomesticated animal to prove compliance with state and federal permit rules on demand, or the animal can be seized.

Chicago requires every pet owner to keep an animal under restraint at all times, leashed whenever it is off the owner's own fenced property, with strict-liability fines up to $10,000…

In unincorporated Cook County, the zoning ordinance caps residential lots at three adult pets per unit and requires outdoor pets be housed in an adequate enclosure.

Illinois Wildlife Code prohibits feeding deer and similar wildlife in many counties to prevent chronic wasting disease spread, with statewide enforcement authority.

Backyard composting is legal permit-free up to 10 cubic yards if it stays odor- and pest-free.

Chicago caps weeds on any property at an average height of 10 inches, with fines starting at $600 per day of violation.

Register a native/pollinator garden with the city and it's exempt from the 10-inch weed height limit.

Anyone who injures, mutilates, or kills a city parkway tree while violating the tree ordinance must pay the full replacement cost, appraised under an industry tree-valuation guide, per…

Chicago requires 10 feet of clearance above sidewalks and streets for trees and shrubs, or the growth is a declared public nuisance.

In unincorporated Cook County, any rainwater catchment system that feeds irrigation lines, toilets, or other plumbing must be approved by the Building Commissioner and follow…

Chicago bans short-term rental of new coach house ADUs; only long-term household occupants may use them.

In Chicago's designated Additional Dwelling Unit-Allowed RS Areas, a single-family lot can only add a coach house or conversion unit if the existing detached house is owner-occupied at…

Chicago charges a $500 Affordable ADU Initial Registration Fee for each coach house or conversion unit an owner must keep affordable when a building adds two or more ADUs.

Chicago's Zoning Ordinance caps coach houses, the classic garage-apartment ADU, at 22 feet in building height, including rooftop features, and limits each one to a single dwelling…

Chicago authorizes garage conversions to coach houses (detached ADUs) and conversion units (attic/basement ADUs) under the Additional Dwelling Unit Ordinance. The pilot ordinance…

Chicago zoning treats a carport as an unenclosed parking space: it can't sit in the required front setback, and side-yard placement only works on RS lots with street access and no…

Chicago requires a building permit before installing a hot tub or spa deep enough to count as a swimming pool, plus a self-latching 5-foot fence, and requires it be kept clean…

Chicago exempts small accessory swimming pools from a building permit only if the water is 48 inches deep or less and holds no more than 5,000 gallons at 90% capacity. Deeper or larger…

Chicago bans overnight street parking from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. between December 1 and March 31 on streets posted as snow-removal tow zones, regardless of actual snowfall.

Chicago bans standing or loading on signed Snow Route streets once snow exceeds two inches, and the ban stays in force until plowing is finished.

Commercial vehicles get 30 minutes in a marked Chicago loading zone; passenger drop-off is capped at the posted time or hazard lights must flash.

When Chicago tows your car to a City pound, Municipal Code Section 9-92-080 sets exactly what you owe to get it back: a $250 towing fee, or $350 if the vehicle has a gross weight of…

Chicago issues residential zone parking permits letting registered vehicle owners park in their assigned residential zone; the permit costs $25 to $35 and does not guarantee a space.

Chicago bans parking that blocks a driveway, alley or firelane, with a flat $150 ticket for blocking access to any of the three.

Trucks, trailers, motor homes, and recreational vehicles over 22 feet cannot be parked on any residential street in Chicago at any time, including overnight, with narrow exceptions.

Chicago bans parking any truck, commercial vehicle, van, or trailer on residential streets at any time, including overnight, with fines up to $125 and immediate impoundment.

Chicago requires an electrical permit from the Department of Buildings (DOB) for every Level 2 EV charger installation on a 240-volt circuit. Single-family homes with installations…

Chicago bans abandoning vehicles on public ways for more than seven days or in undrivable condition, and lets the city immediately tow hazardous dilapidated vehicles left in public…

Chicago requires a regulated business license for any home occupation, capped at 300 sq ft or 25% of the dwelling, whichever is larger.

Chicago's zoning code treats a home daycare serving three or more unrelated children as a 'Day Care' use, and permits it by right in every residential zoning district from RS-1 through…

Chicago bars any licensed home occupation from displaying signage or other exterior evidence of the business. The rule covers the dwelling's exterior, shared interior spaces in…

Chicago caps home-based businesses at two patrons or clients present at once and ten in any 24-hour period, under the city's home occupation license rules.

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…

Chicago bans fuel- or electric-powered construction, repair, or demolition equipment within 600 feet of homes or hospitals between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Chicago bans car stereos audible beyond 75 feet on the public way and requires every vehicle to run a working muffler, outlawing cutouts and straight pipes citywide.

Chicago caps mechanical stationary equipment noise at 55 dB(A) from 100 feet or 70 dB(A) from 10 feet, enforced nightly 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Chicago bans letting a dog or other animal make excessive noise that disturbs neighbors' peace, day or night, under Municipal Code § 7-12-100.

Chicago bars amplified sound audible beyond 100 feet from private property between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., extending the citywide noise curfew into yards, backyards, and gangways.

Chicago regulates aircraft noise primarily through O'Hare and Midway airport noise abatement programs administered by the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA). The city has invested…

Chicago bans amplified sound louder than conversational level 100 feet away on the public way anytime, and on private property between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., under Municipal Code 8-32-070.

Cook County caps the noise output of new powered lawn and garden equipment, including leaf blowers, sold or leased in the county at 65 decibels measured 50 feet away, under Code Sec…

Chicago's Building Code caps a combustible solid fence at 6 feet (8 feet under stated conditions) and a combustible screen fence at 8 feet, while the Zoning Ordinance limits a solid…

Chicago Building Code 13-96-135 requires any fence directly adjacent to the public way on a lot with a Class A residential large building to sit at least 15 feet from the building and…

Chicago Municipal Code 13-32-200 makes it unlawful to erect any fence more than five feet in height without first obtaining a permit from the building commissioner. A solid fence of…

Chicago Municipal Code 13-96-160 prohibits barbed wire less than 8 feet above the ground, though it is allowed above 6 feet when wholly on or over private property. The Code classifies…

Cook County follows Illinois common law regarding shared boundary fences. Illinois does not have a mandatory fence-sharing statute. Both neighbors may build on their own side of the…

Chicago's Outdoor Dining Street program normally runs May 1 through October 31 each year, but the Department of Transportation can approve specific curb-lane locations for permits…

Chicago requires a Department of Transportation permit for any parade on the public way, filed at least 15 business days ahead with a $50 fee.

Street fairs and festivals on Chicago public ways require an outdoor special event permit from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events before setup.

Chicago parklets run through CDOT's People Spots program, and the commissioner permits every structure placed in the reclaimed parking lane.

Chicago block party permits are free and obtained through your local aldermanic office, which submits the request to the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) under Municipal…

Chicago lets builders meet its energy code by certifying gold or emerald under the National Green Building Standard instead of standard IECC compliance.

Chicago requires a permit before any electrical installation, alteration, or repair, and the city has adopted the 2017 National Electrical Code as its Chicago Electrical Code.

Chicago requires carbon monoxide alarms in existing dwelling units with fuel-burning appliances, fireplaces, forced-air systems, or attached garages.

Chicago exempts single-family homes, two-flats, and townhouses (Groups R-3/R-5) from the mandatory sprinkler rule that applies to larger Group R buildings.

Chicago requires permit holders to request footing, framing, and final inspections at set construction stages, and bars covering completed work until the building official signs off.

Chicago requires a building official permit before most construction, alteration, or demolition, and all permitted work is subject to city inspection.

Chicago requires a permit for plumbing work under Chapter 14A-4, plus a City or state plumbing license before anyone can do the work.

Chicago requires every dwelling unit entry door to carry a one-inch deadbolt, a protected cylinder, and non-removable hinge pins.

No elevator may operate in Chicago without a valid Certificate of Compliance issued after inspection; certificates must be framed and posted inside the elevator car itself.

Chicago law requires every licensed day care center to undergo an annual inspection by the fire department or department of buildings, with a completed permit, code-compliance, or…

Tall scaffolding in Chicago needs its own city permit, safety training proof, and $1 million liability insurance before it goes up.

Chicago Municipal Code Chapter 7-4 regulates lead paint hazards with authority to inspect any residential building, child care facility, or school frequented by children age 6 and…

Illinois law allows firearm transport in a Chicago vehicle only if the gun is unloaded and enclosed in a case, OR the driver holds a valid Illinois Concealed Carry License. 720 ILCS…

Illinois bans open carry of firearms statewide. Under 720 ILCS 5/24-1 and 5/24-1.6, carrying an exposed loaded or accessible firearm in public is unlawful use of a weapon. Chicago has…

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.

Chicago prohibits flying any small unmanned aircraft within five miles of any airport. The citywide drone ordinance treats airport proximity as an absolute no-fly zone with no…

Chicago prohibits flying a drone over stadiums, festivals, parades, and other open-air gatherings without the property owner's consent.

Chicago caps hobby drone flights at 400 feet, daylight-only, and 5+ miles from any airport under MCC 10-36-400.

Flying a drone over Chicago Park District land or any park athletic field, stadium or bandstand requires the property owner's consent under the city's small unmanned aircraft ordinance.

Chicago limits drone flights to hobby use only: commercial operators need FAA Part 107 authorization and must still follow the city's altitude, no-fly zone, and line-of-sight rules.

Chicago requires a City-approved Stormwater Management Plan with sediment and erosion control measures for any construction disturbing 15,000+ square feet or creating 7,500+ square…

Building, altering, or repairing any dock in Chicago's harbor waterways requires a written permit from the Commissioner of Transportation, issued after a harbor safety and navigability…

Chicago's flood control code sets a flood protection elevation one foot above the base flood elevation, and new construction in mapped flood hazard areas must meet it.

Chicago requires a City-approved Stormwater Management Plan for regulated developments disturbing 15,000+ sq ft or creating 7,500+ sq ft of impervious surface.

Chicago requires a flood-control permit and elevation compliance for any development valued over $1,000 in a designated Special Flood Hazard Area before other permits can issue.

Cook County's environmental code doesn't set its own idling limit: it adopts and defers to Illinois' state idling law, which supersedes any conflicting county requirement, across the…

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

Chicago bans driving, standing or parking in marked bicycle lanes, with a $250 fine and immediate tow for parked violations.

Chicago treats Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes like regular bicycles on streets and bike paths, but bans Class 3 e-bikes from every sidewalk and requires Class 3 riders to be at least 16.

Chicago licenses shared e-scooter operators and bans riding them on sidewalks: scooters must stay in bike lanes or on streets.

Uber and Lyft drivers can't pick up at O'Hare, Midway, or McCormick Place except at designated taxicab stands or loading zones.

Cameras at intersections and school/park safety zones ticket red-light runners and speeders under Municipal Code Chapters 9-101 and 9-102, with fines set by Section 9-100-020(d).

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…

Chicago taxes hotel and short-term rental stays at 4.5%, plus up to 6% more in surcharges for vacation rentals and shared housing.

Chicago requires anyone operating a massage establishment to hold a city regulated business license from the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, with individual…

Adult bookstores, theaters, and cabarets must register with the city and can't locate within 1,000 feet of another adult use, a residential district, or a school.

Chicago requires a $5,280/year city license to operate as a pawnbroker, with a good-moral-character investigation before issuance.

Tattoo and body piercing shops need a regulated business license, $300,000 liability insurance, and must follow strict age and hygiene rules.

Chicago requires a separate tobacco license for every retail location before selling cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or other tobacco products, with license fees set per location and cash…

Tow operators need the property owner's written consent before relocating a car from a private lot, and citywide wheel-booting is banned outright.

Chicago requires a city license before buying, selling, or trading secondhand property like jewelry, electronics, or bikes for value.

Student and classroom film shoots that block Chicago streets still need a Film Production Permit from CDOT, but the fee drops to $25 instead of $250.

Filming that blocks streets, sidewalks or needs City services requires a $250 CDOT film production permit.

Filming that closes streets, blocks sidewalks, or needs special City services requires a $250 Film Production Permit from CDOT plus a City Services Request Form to the Chicago Film…

Natural gas barbecue grills on multi-family balconies must be hard-piped with an outside shutoff valve, per the Chicago Fuel Gas Code.

Natural gas barbecue grills on multi-family balconies must be hard piped with an outside shutoff valve at the wall.

Off-premise signs (billboards) are banned within 500 feet of any designated expressway or toll road right-of-way, plus Lake Shore Drive and part of Michigan Avenue.

Off-premise digital billboards must stand at least 125 feet from any residential district: tighter than the 100-foot buffer required for ordinary static billboards under Chicago's…

Chicago caps temporary paper, vinyl, or cling window signs at 25% of a window's glazing area, with no permit needed below that line.

Political signs count as noncommercial messages and must fit the same size, height and duration limits as any temporary sign.

Chicago confines garage-sale signage to the seller's own property and sets a hard removal deadline: every sign advertising an occasional sale must come down by 9:00 p.m. the day the…

Chicago's zoning code exempts holiday decorations with no commercial message from all sign regulations, meaning no permit, size cap, or removal deadline applies under the city's Title…

Chicago does not require residents to separate food scraps; home composting is voluntary and permit-exempt under city standards.

Chicago is the exclusive refuse collector for single homes and buildings with four or fewer units, billed $9.50 per month per dwelling.

Dumping waste on the public way or private lots without a permit draws fines starting at $1,500 and scaling with volume in Chicago.

Placing a dumpster or roll-off box on a Chicago street or sidewalk requires a Department of Transportation permit, liability insurance, a $5,000 letter of credit, and compliance with…

Chicago requires source-separated recycling citywide: residents, tenants and building owners must sort recyclables into designated containers and keep them separate from trash for…

Chicago limits when you can set carts at the curb: evening before pickup day, off by that evening.

Carts go at the alley lot line for pickup, or curbside only from the evening before collection through collection-day evening.

City code mandates regular recycling service for all low-density households, with curbside collection as the preferred method.

Cook County lets residents burn landscape waste on-site only under strict conditions, not as a general disposal option.

Bulk item disposal in unincorporated Cook County is handled through private waste haulers. Large items may require special pickup arrangements. Illegal dumping is prosecuted under the…

Chicago's Landmarks Commission may recommend any building, structure, work of art, district, or other object as a "Chicago Landmark" if it meets two or more of seven cultural…

Chicago taxes the privilege of parking a vehicle in a City parking lot or garage at 23.25% of the fee charged, collected by the lot operator and remitted to the Department of Finance.

Cook County taxes business real estate under its own classification system: commercial (Class 5a) and industrial (Class 5b) property is assessed at 25% of market value, more than…

Chicago bars adult-use cannabis dispensaries within 500 feet of any school, and requires cultivation, craft-grow, infuser, and processor sites to sit 660 feet from residential…

Illinois legalized adult-use cannabis in 2020 but permits home cultivation only for medical cannabis patients. Local precincts in Chicago can further restrict home cultivation through…

Adult use cannabis dispensaries need special use zoning approval and must sit at least 500 feet from any school, measured property line to property line.

Chicago requires a permit from Streets and Sanitation for any garage, yard, or rummage sale, capped at three days and twice a year.

Drinking alcohol on any Chicago public way or in a parked vehicle on one is illegal, with narrow carve-outs for licensed sidewalk cafes, Navy Pier, and Riverwalk venues.

Using cannabis in any public place in Chicago is a ticketable offense, fined $50 first offense and $100 after that.

Chicago police can order groups loitering with a gang member in designated hot-spot areas to disperse, and arrest anyone who refuses or returns within eight hours.

Chicago requires pedestrians to use a marked crosswalk when crossing any through street, and lets the city ban mid-block crossings elsewhere with posted signage.

Chicago bars skateboarding on any business street or its sidewalk, and requires skaters elsewhere to yield to pedestrians and stay off roadways except in crosswalks.

Chicago's Clean Indoor Air Ordinance reaches outside: the smoke-free "public place" legally includes a 15-foot buffer around every entrance, exit, open window, and vent, so lighting up…

Urinating or defecating on the public way or any outdoor public or private property is banned citywide, with fines up to $500 and possible jail time.

Cook County fines anyone who owns, rents, or controls a building $100 a day when a party's boisterous noise disturbs the neighborhood's peace, under Code Section 58-179 enforced by…

Chicago caps principal residential buildings in RS1, RS2, and RS3 single-family zoning districts at 30 feet, with taller limits allowed in denser RT and RM districts.

Chicago's zoning code sets front, rear, and side yard setbacks by residential district, mostly as a percentage of lot depth or width.

In RS, RT, RM4.5 and RM5 districts, Chicago requires 6.5% of lot area (or more per dwelling unit) kept open in the rear yard, effectively capping how much of the lot buildings can…

City agencies and police are barred from helping ICE with civil immigration enforcement or holding people on detainers alone.

Landlords must hire a licensed pest control professional within 10 days of any suspected bed bug report and keep treatment records for three years.

Chicago requires medical producers to seal used syringes and needles in rigid, puncture-resistant, biohazard-labeled containers under the city's infectious waste ordinance.

Every Chicago food establishment must have a Department of Health-certified person in charge on-site whenever perishable food is handled.

Chicago's Property Maintenance Code requires every structure to be kept free of insects, rodents, and similar pests, with owners and occupants each on the hook depending on where an…

Chicago caps digital billboard and dynamic sign brightness at 7,000 nits by day, dropping to 250-300 nits after sunset, and bars illumination from midnight to 5 a.m. for most signs.

Chicago's zoning code requires outdoor lighting at gas stations, industrial and waste-related sites, and multi-level parking garages to be directed downward and shielded so it doesn't…

Cook County's Lighting Ordinance directs County Departments to shield outdoor fixtures on County-owned roads, buildings and properties, capping light spilling onto neighboring lots at…

Chicago bans loud loading and unloading of boxes, crates, containers, and dumpsters between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. if it creates a noise disturbance in residential districts or noise…

Chicago's Noise Ordinance bars low-frequency earthshaking vibrations that cross a property's lot line and are perceptible without instruments, with tighter manufacturing-district…

Chicago caps HVAC and refrigeration unit noise at 55 dB(A) from 100 feet, enforced nightly from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Liquor-licensed bars and nightclubs in Chicago can't blast amplified sound past conversational level 100 feet from the property line.

Chicago requires every vehicle alarm to shut itself off within four minutes of triggering and stay silent until reset. Alarms lacking an automatic shutoff and reset mechanism cannot…

Chicago caps generator noise at 55 dB(A) from 100 feet, but exempts emergency backup power use entirely.

Downtown "D" district projects can buy extra floor area above the base FAR through Chicago's floor area bonus program.

Buildings on designated downtown pedestrian streets must sit at the sidewalk, show 60% ground-floor glass, and skip curb cuts.

Chicago's home-occupation ordinance sets a floor, not a ceiling: condo associations, co-op boards, and landlords can adopt stricter rules or outright bans that legally override the…

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 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…

Chicago requires one parkway tree per 25 feet of frontage, minimum 2.5-inch caliper, planted to city forestry specs.

Chicago's code formally defines a "heritage tree" by age, size, or historical value and directs the Urban Forestry Advisory Board to build a Heritage Tree program, but sets no separate…

On County-controlled roads outside Chicago, the Highway Department can force utility crews to use higher poles, side-arm extensions or covered wire to protect specimen trees or trees…

Chicago requires anyone peddling goods door-to-door or on public ways to hold a street peddler license before starting business.

Owners get 24 hours after city notice to fix a leak or water waste before the city cuts off supply.

Cook County requires a Building Commissioner permit before installing reclaimed (recycled) water, gray water, or on-site treated nonpotable water systems for buildings in…

Illinois law (765 ILCS 165, the Solar Rights Act) protects homeowners' right to install solar energy systems. HOAs and condo associations cannot unreasonably restrict solar…

Chicago requires a stand-alone electrical permit for solar panel installation, with a flat $225 fee for systems under 13.44 kW and $250 per array (minimum $1,000) for larger arrays…

Chicago caps weeds on any owned or controlled property, including vacant lots, at an average height of 10 inches, with fines starting at $600 per day.

Chicago can order owners to demolish, repair, or enclose dangerous, unsafe, or abandoned buildings or face daily fines and city-ordered demolition.

Chicago property owners must clear a 5-foot sidewalk path within hours of snowfall or face fines up to $500 a day.

Chicago requires a mobile food vendor license for every food truck, cart, or produce stand, with a separate license per vehicle and a mandatory Health Department consultation.

City Council designates entire districts, including a downtown "Central District", where street peddling is banned outright at all times.

Chicago regulates food carts and mobile food vehicles under Municipal Code Chapters 4-8 and 7-38. Non-motorized food carts cannot prepare food on-site: all food must come from a…

Minors under 18 face citywide curfew: 10 p.m.-6 a.m. for those 12+, earlier for younger kids, with fines up to $500.

Abutting property owners must relay out-of-grade sidewalks and can be billed if the city has to do the work itself.

Chicago lets the city remove anything blocking a sidewalk or public way after just six hours' notice to the owner.

A public way use permit is required before building any canopy, awning, marquee, bay window, kiosk, or other fixture on or over a Chicago sidewalk.

Chicago does not have a mandatory systematic rental inspection program like some other major cities. Instead, the city relies on complaint-based inspections through 311 and the…

Tenants in unincorporated Cook County can file a complaint with the Department of Public Health, which must investigate and, if it finds a violation, order the owner to fix it within…

Chicago landlords must keep rental units code-compliant and fit to live in, or tenants can withhold rent, repair and deduct, or sue.

Cook County passed a Rental Dwelling Ordinance on June 29, 2016, establishing rental property registration and inspection requirements for unincorporated areas. Landlords must comply…

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…

Chicago bans importing, selling, or possessing viable material from any commissioner-listed invasive plant species citywide.

In unincorporated Cook County, landscape plans required for building permits, PUDs, and parking lots over 20 spaces may not use tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima): it's flagged for…

Illinois is an all-party consent state for audio recording under 720 ILCS 5/14-2. Recording a private conversation without consent from all parties is a felony. The law was amended in…

Cook County has no separate agricultural zoning district, but its R-1 Single-Family Residence District, the county's largest-lot residential category, is expressly designed, per Zoning…

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.

Residents in unincorporated Cook County can report building, zoning, and property violations to the Cook County Department of Building and Zoning. Reports can be filed online through…

Cook County Building and Zoning investigates complaints on a priority basis. Emergency hazards (unsafe structures, exposed wiring) receive expedited response. Routine violations are…

The most common code violations in unincorporated Cook County include construction without permits, illegal occupancy, zoning violations (commercial use in residential areas), unsafe…

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 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…

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…