Animal Ordinances in Cicero, IL (2026)
11 verified animal ordinances for Cicero, Illinois, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Cicero bans keeping any mule, ox, cow, goat, pig, chicken, turkey, duck, goose or similar fowl under Sec. 18-1(b), declaring possession itself a nuisance; only Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs registered before an October 1999 deadline are grandfathered in.
Cicero Backyard Livestock and Fowl Ban
Heavy RestrictionsCicero Town Code § 18-1(b)
No person shall keep, house or board any mule, ass, ox, cow, goat, pig, chicken, turkey, duck, goose or other like fowl or animal, and possession of such animal is hereby declared to be a nuisance. Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs shall be permitted pursuant to the provisions of section 18-10.
Dog Leash Laws
Cicero dogs may not run loose on any street, alley, public place or shared building hallway, and owners must keep dogs "under restraint" even on their own property: a dog can't cross the property line or sit on an unfenced yard unleashed. Violators face a $50.00 to $200.00 fine, and stray dogs can be impounded.
Cicero Dog Leash and Restraint Law
Some RestrictionsCicero Code of Ordinances § 18-41(a); § 18-52(a)
(a)No person shall cause or permit any dog owned or kept by him to run at large on any street, alley or other public place or in any place that is open for public business or in the hallway of any building occupied by two or more families within the town at any time... Each owner shall keep his dog under restraint. It shall be an unlawful for any owner to allow his dog to cross his property lin...
Breed Restrictions
Cicero doesn't ban or single out any dog breed by name. Instead, the animal control warden can declare any dog "dangerous" based on unprovoked bites, attacks, fighting history or repeated aggressive chasing, then impose confinement, muzzling, signage, insurance, microchipping and neutering requirements, or order the dog destroyed or banned from town.
Cicero Dangerous Dog Declaration Rules
Significant RestrictionsCicero Code of Ordinances § 18-47(a)
As used in this section, the term "dangerous dog" means:(1)Any dog that bites, inflicts injury on, kills or otherwise attacks a human being without provocation on public or private property;(2)Any dog that bites, inflicts injury on, kills or otherwise attacks a domestic animal without provocation while off the owner's property; or(3)Any dog owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose...
Exotic Pets
Cicero outlaws possessing dangerous or carnivorous wild animals under Sec. 18-3, naming primates, big cats, bears, alligators over 12 inches, snakes, coyotes and wolves, with fines up to $750 and police authority to kill an animal at large.
Cicero Dangerous Wild Animal Ban
Heavy RestrictionsCicero Town Code § 18-3(a)
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to have, keep, maintain or have in his possession or control within the town any poisonous reptile or any dangerous or carnivorous wild animal or vicious or dangerous domesticated animal, including but not limited to baboons, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, bears, cheetahs, lions, tigers, alligators or crocodiles of a length more than 12 inches, snakes,...
Wildlife Feeding
Cicero makes it unlawful to intentionally feed stray animals, including birds, under Sec. 18-13, and separately requires anyone storing food, garbage, or spoiled produce to keep it in tightly covered containers so stray animals cannot gain access to it.
Cicero Ban on Feeding Stray Animals
Some RestrictionsCicero Town Code § 18-13
(a)It shall be unlawful to intentionally feed stray animals, including birds.(b)All food products for human or animal consumption, whether kept for sale or any other purpose whatsoever, shall be so protected as to prevent stray animals from gaining access thereto or coming into contact therewith. All garbage, decayed or spoiled vegetables, meats, cereals, fruits or other similar material shall ...
Pet Limits
The Town of Cicero caps most homes at three licensed dogs or cats over three months old. A residence or business with at least 1,000 square feet of floor space, including the basement, may keep up to five. Pet shops, animal hospitals and grooming or training establishments are exempt from the cap entirely.
Cicero Household Pet Limit Rule
Some RestrictionsCicero Code of Ordinances § 18-40
No more than three licensed animals of the age of three months or older shall be housed or maintained in any business, residence or apartment within the town and any violation of such prohibition shall, upon conviction, be fined as provided in section 1-12. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, no more than five licensed animals of the age of three months or older shall be housed or maintaine...
Cat Rules
The Town of Cicero requires every cat owner to register with the town collector by November 30 each year and buy a metal license tag, backed by a current rabies certificate. Cats may not run at large on any street, alley or public place. Miss the deadline and a $10 late fee plus fines up to $750 follow.
Cicero Cat Licensing and At-Large Law
Some RestrictionsCicero Code of Ordinances § 18-37(a); § 18-41(b)
Every person who owns or keeps a dog or cat within the town limits shall report to the collector annually, by November 30, his name and address and shall give the name, breed and color of each and every dog or cat owned or kept by such person. The person shall cause each such dog or cat to be registered for a license in the office of the collector... No person shall cause or permit any cat owne...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Cicero doesn't require spaying or neutering pets generally, but any dog or cat impounded and redeemed must be neutered before release, or the owner must sign a written pledge to have it done. The rule sits in Section 18-44's redemption process for unlicensed impounded animals.
Cicero Impound Spay/Neuter Mandate
Some RestrictionsCicero Code of Ordinances § 18-44
Every animal that is impounded as provided for in this article, for which no license has been obtained, shall be immediately transferred to a facility appropriate for the humane dispatch of such animal. Any person desiring to redeem an animal so impounded may do so by paying the impound fee of $50.00 plus the amount of the license fee for the current license year and a reasonable fee to cover t...
Microchipping
Cicero requires a microchip before an impounded dog or cat is redeemed, or a signed pledge to install one, and separately mandates microchipping at the owner's expense for any dog formally declared dangerous. There's no townwide microchip law for pets never impounded or declared dangerous.
Cicero Pet Microchip Requirement
Some RestrictionsCicero Code of Ordinances § 18-44; § 18-47(b)(3)(d)
No dog or cat shall be released without having an identifying microchip installed under the animal's skin and being neutered. In the alternative, at the discretion of the animal control warden, a dog or cat may be released after execution of a written agreement from the person desiring to redeem the animal that the animal will have an identifying microchip installed and will be neutered... d.Th...
Pet Groomer Rules
Any pet shop or pet grooming business operating in Cicero must pay an annual town license tax, priced by the size of the retail and grooming space. The fee runs from $250.00 for small operations up to $1,000.00 for the largest, under the town's business license schedule.
Cicero Pet Groomer Business License Fee
Some RestrictionsCicero Code of Ordinances § 26-101 (license schedule: "Pet shops and pet groomers and supplies")
The following enumerated individual license taxes shall be paid to the town by the persons engaging in or managing or transacting the several occupations or professions named yearly, unless otherwise specified: ... (4)Pet shops and pet groomers and supplies: .....a.Where total square footage of retail space and grooming space is less than or equal to 5,000 square feet .....250.00b.Where square ...
Bird Protection
Cicero makes it unlawful to kill or wound, or attempt to kill or wound, any bird within Town limits using a firearm, slingshot, bow and arrow, or other weapon under Sec. 18-9, a prohibition dating to a 1917 ordinance still codified today.
Cicero Ban on Killing Birds
Heavy RestrictionsCicero Town Code § 18-9
No person shall kill or wound or attempt to kill or wound, by the use of a firearm, slingshot, bow and arrow, or other weapon, any bird within the town limits.
Looking for Cook County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Cicero city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Cook County →