McHenry County, IL Ordinances (2026)

Crystal Lake caps weeds and grass at eight inches; owners get seven days after notice to cut, or the city cuts and charges $250 for the first hour plus $200 each additional hour…

Crystal Lake uses a color-coded water-conservation system. During a declared 'Yellow' condition, odd-numbered addresses water on odd dates and even addresses on even dates within…

Removing a protected tree in Crystal Lake requires a tree removal permit from the Building Division under the Unified Development Ordinance's Tree Preservation standards. Small…

Illinois' Homeowners' Native Landscaping Act bars community associations from banning native-species plantings that are kept free of weeds and don't encroach on neighbors. McHenry…

Crystal Lake and McHenry County have no ordinance specifically banning or approving residential artificial turf. Installations must still meet Unified Development Ordinance landscaping…

Unincorporated McHenry County treats rain barrels and cisterns as approved green infrastructure under its Stormwater Management Ordinance, not as regulated development. Installing one…

Large RVs and oversized vehicles face storage limits. In Crystal Lake, a recreational vehicle over 25 feet long or 11 feet tall must be stored in a side or rear yard, at least five…

Vehicles must generally park on an approved driveway, not on lawns. In Crystal Lake, motor homes over 25 feet may sit on a driveway no more than 10 days per month.

Unincorporated McHenry County sets no blanket overnight ban, but cities do. In Crystal Lake, no vehicle may park on any street longer than 30 minutes between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.

Commercial and industrial buildings in unincorporated McHenry County must provide off-street loading spaces at least 12 feet wide, 35 feet long, and 14 feet clear, sized to gross floor…

Illinois law (625 ILCS 5/4-201) makes abandoning a vehicle on public or private property unlawful, and it may be removed after a 7-day waiting period. Crystal Lake also bars inoperable…

In unincorporated McHenry County, a resident may let a guest park or store one RV, trailer, or boat for no more than 60 days per year. Crystal Lake allows RVs on driveways with size…

Rules are set by each city. Crystal Lake requires a garage sale license from the Chief of Police, limits residents to three licenses per 12 months, caps each sale at four consecutive…

Unincorporated McHenry County protects farmland through two agricultural zoning districts. The A-1 Agriculture District permits agricultural purposes and activities with residences…

McHenry County's zoning code puts owners near its agricultural districts on official notice that Illinois' Right to Farm Law can bar them from winning a nuisance lawsuit against normal…

McHenry County requires a stormwater management permit before any regulated development, land disturbing 5,000 square feet or more, work in a flood hazard area, or in a wetland, under…

Unincorporated McHenry County adopts the International Building Code's flood-load rules, but routes every real standard, mapping and design requirement to the county's own Stormwater…

In unincorporated McHenry County, new buildings, additions and substantial improvements inside a mapped floodplain must reach a flood protection elevation (FPE) of at least two feet…

McHenry County's Stormwater Management Ordinance makes soil erosion and sediment control mandatory on every regulated construction site in the unincorporated county. Disturbed ground…

Unincorporated McHenry County requires a stormwater management permit before building a boat dock on the Fox River, Chain O'Lakes or any other regulated waterway. Docks qualify for the…

Unincorporated McHenry County enforces the 2021 International Building Code with local amendments under County Code § 15.04.010. Nearly every construction project needs a permit from…

Plumbing work anywhere in unincorporated McHenry County is governed by the Illinois State Plumbing Code, 77 Ill. Adm. Code §§ 890 et seq., adopted by the County Board word-for-word…

In unincorporated McHenry County, a stand-alone day care center is a permitted principal use only in the B-1, B-2, B-3, O and I-1 zoning districts under UDO § 16.56.030(L), not in any…

Any electrical service work in unincorporated McHenry County, new wiring, a service change, or equipment modification, needs a permit from the Planning & Development Department before…

Unincorporated McHenry County does not require automatic fire sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes or townhouses. The county's amended 2021 International Residential Code…

McHenry County Animal Control scans every impounded dog, cat and other animal for a microchip at intake, and no companion cat or dog leaves the pound through redemption without being…

McHenry County's Public Health Ordinance requires every dog to be restrained or controlled so it cannot run at large. Off the owner's property a dog must be on a leash held by a…

In McHenry County cats are covered by the same animal-control ordinance as dogs: they must be restrained so they do not run at large, and every cat four months or older must be…

Unincorporated McHenry County splits veterinary uses into two zoning categories. A clinic treating small and large animals needs a conditional use permit in the Agricultural (A-1)…

Neither McHenry County nor Illinois bans dogs by breed. Under 510 ILCS 5/15, a dog is regulated by its individual conduct: vicious dogs must be confined to an enclosure and, when out…

McHenry County orders spay or neuter surgery in two situations: a dog, cat or other animal caught running at large a second time must be fixed and microchipped within 30 days of being…

Unincorporated McHenry County lets residents keep chickens, fowl and other farm animals in Estate Areas, but only if the keeper meets zoning rules, provides adequate shelter and…

Illinois' Dangerous Animals Act (720 ILCS 585) bars private residents in McHenry County from keeping big cats, bears, wolves, coyotes and life-threatening reptiles such as crocodilians…

Keeping bees on residential and agricultural parcels in unincorporated McHenry County requires state registration and a flyway barrier once a hive sits within 25 feet of a property…

Animal hoarding in McHenry County is prosecuted under the Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act (510 ILCS 70). A "companion animal hoarder" keeps a large number of animals in severe…

Unincorporated McHenry County bans unauthorized pickup of trash or recyclables you have set out for your licensed hauler under Code § 8.24.050. Recyclables cannot be dumped straight…

Owners of multi-family buildings in unincorporated McHenry County must file a written Recycling Plan with the Department and keep educating tenants on recycling under Code § 8.44.050…

Dumping litter or waste on public or private property is prohibited. Crystal Lake bars depositing litter on any private property whether or not you own it, the county treats waste…

Unincorporated McHenry County makes the occupant, not the hauler, responsible for a garbage or recycling cart's placement, preparation and storage until pickup under Code Section…

Unincorporated McHenry County requires every occupant to separate mandated recyclable materials, aluminum and steel cans, newsprint, corrugated cardboard, PET and HDPE plastics, mixed…

McHenry County does not mandate a subscription or a fixed pickup day, but it does regulate the haulers who serve unincorporated areas: Code § 8.24.090 bars collection before 5:00 a.m…

Commercial and industrial properties in unincorporated McHenry County must fully enclose refuse dumpsters on three sides behind a six-foot masonry wall, matching wall, or solid fence…

Every adult business in unincorporated McHenry County needs a Conditional Use Permit and a $200 annual license before opening, per Code § 5.32.050 and § 5.32.060. Applicants are…

Operating a tattoo or body-piercing establishment in unincorporated McHenry County without a valid Illinois Department of Public Health registration is a declared public health…

Unincorporated McHenry County bars any kind of auto repair or small engine repair from operating as a home occupation. UDO §16.56.050(I)(2) lists auto repair among the occupation types…

Placing anything private, a driveway culvert, a fence, a sign, in the right-of-way of a McHenry County Highway is barred by default. County Code § 10.12.360(D) lets the McHenry County…

McHenry County keeps every County Highway right-of-way legally clear: § 10.12.410 forbids any activity that obstructs traffic or poses a safety hazard without the prior written…

Unincorporated McHenry County bars anyone under 17 from public places between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on school nights, and from 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. on weekends, under Code § 9.08.090…

Unincorporated McHenry County lets cannabis businesses locate by type of zoning district. Dispensaries need a conditional use permit in the B-1, B-2 or B-3 business districts; Craft…

McHenry County keeps cannabis dispensaries 1,000 feet from any preschool, school or addiction-recovery residential care facility, and keeps craft growers and cultivation centers 2,500…

In unincorporated McHenry County, keeping a garbage container that isn't vermin- and rodent-proof is a declared public health nuisance under § 8.04.080(C). Letting a structure or lot…

McHenry County doesn't certify every food worker individually, but its Public Health Ordinance requires a certified food service sanitation manager to directly supervise temporary food…

Unincorporated McHenry County requires every mobile food unit, from taco trucks to trailers, to hold a valid operator's permit from the county Department of Health. Operators must file…

McHenry County protects desirable native trees on land proposed for subdivision under conservation design. Any desirable native species four inches DBH or larger, and any other tree…

McHenry County's subdivision tree-replacement rules bar 16 species, including buckthorn, tree of heaven, Norway maple and Siberian elm, from counting as protected or planted as a…

McHenry County's off-street parking table sets a bed-and-breakfast's minimum at two spaces plus one per guestroom, and a vacation rental's minimum at one space per unit, under UDO…

In unincorporated McHenry County, a furnished home may be rented short-term up to 12 rental periods or 90 days a year by right; exceeding those limits requires a conditional use…

In unincorporated McHenry County a vacation rental may operate by right up to 12 rental periods OR 90 total days per calendar year; renting beyond either limit requires a conditional…

Unincorporated McHenry County's vacation rental definition applies regardless of whether the dwelling is the operator's full-time residence, so there is no rule confining short-term…

Unincorporated McHenry County only recognizes a short-term lodging use as a bed and breakfast if the operator remains on premise while guests are staying. Section 16.08.020 caps a bed…

McHenry County sets no per-person occupancy cap for unincorporated vacation rentals, limiting them by rental frequency instead. Woodstock bed-and-breakfasts are capped at five guest…

In unincorporated McHenry County, running an off-road vehicle whose noise carries 100 feet or more from the lot line is a public nuisance after 7:00 p.m. any day, before 7:00 a.m…

McHenry County sets no decibel limit of its own. Chapter 9.16 of the county code, which applies only to unincorporated areas, defines nuisance noise by its unreasonableness and states…

McHenry County has no dog-specific decibel rule; persistent barking is handled as a public nuisance when the sound is prolonged, harsh, or raucous and carries 100 feet or more from the…

In unincorporated McHenry County it is a public nuisance to emit noise from live musical performances, stereos, car stereos, or sound amplification systems that can be heard 100 feet…

In unincorporated McHenry County, any prolonged, harsh, unusual, or raucous noise audible 100 feet or more from the source's lot line is a public nuisance if it causes unreasonable…

In unincorporated McHenry County it is a public nuisance to run construction tools or equipment, or do construction work, that is audible 100 feet or more from the lot line after 7:00…

McHenry County sets no leaf-blower-specific rule. Lawn and property maintenance are expressly excluded from the off-road-vehicle noise limit, so blowers are governed only by the…

Unincorporated McHenry County limits open burning to landscape waste and brush, on weekends between dawn and dusk in October, November, April and May only, under § 8.04.090. Fires must…

Illinois bans consumer fireworks statewide. In McHenry County you may not possess, sell, use, or explode firecrackers, bottle rockets, or Roman candles. Only novelties like sparklers…

A backyard fire pit in unincorporated McHenry County qualifies as a 'recreational fire' under the county's Open Burning Ordinance if it stays no larger than three feet by three feet by…

Illinois law requires a working smoke detector within 15 feet of every sleeping room and on every story of a home, including basements. Since January 1, 2023, newly installed alarms…

In unincorporated McHenry County, maximum building coverage is roughly 30-35% in residential/estate districts and maximum impervious surface is generally 50% (Table 16.36-1). In SARA…

In unincorporated McHenry County, principal buildings in agricultural and residential districts are generally capped at 35 feet (38 feet in R-3). Detached accessory buildings are…

In unincorporated McHenry County, residential and agricultural principal buildings generally need a 30-foot street setback, a 10-foot interior side setback, and a 20-30 foot rear…

Illinois home kitchen and cottage food operations are legal. Crystal Lake expressly permits them under the state Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act (410 ILCS 625/1 et seq.)…

Running a home-based business in unincorporated McHenry County is allowed as an accessory use under UDO §16.56.050(I), but it stays strictly secondary to the home's residential use…

Home-business signs are tightly limited so the property still looks residential. In Crystal Lake a home occupation may display only an unlighted name plate or business sign of no more…

Home-based businesses in unincorporated McHenry County may see clients on-site, but UDO §16.56.050(I)(5) requires every visit to be scheduled by appointment only. Combined with the…

Unincorporated McHenry County allows a home day care by right in every agricultural, estate and residential zoning district (A-1 through R-3) under UDO § 16.56.030(M). The operator…

Unincorporated McHenry County law makes it a public health nuisance to let noxious weeds stand within 150 feet of any property line, whether the lot is built on or vacant. Section…

Unincorporated McHenry County's amended building code lets the building official declare any structure or piece of equipment unsafe for inadequate egress, sanitation, fire hazard or…

Small garage-sale yard signs are exempt from permitting under the McHenry County UDO. A larger temporary structural sign is capped at one per street frontage, must sit at least 5 feet…

Yard signs are an exempted sign type under the McHenry County UDO and need no permit. Any exempted or temporary sign may display a noncommercial (political) message on the same terms…

Digital signs in unincorporated McHenry County must hold each message static for at least ten seconds, skip blinking or animation entirely, and cap brightness at 0.3 footcandles above…

Unincorporated McHenry County allows a tiny house as a second unit on a lot only through the zoning code's Ancillary Dwelling Unit standard, not as a stand-alone tiny-house category…

Unincorporated McHenry County allows one ancillary dwelling unit per lot under UDO § 16.56.030O, attached to the house or built as a freestanding structure. The lot must stay…

In unincorporated McHenry County you cannot convert a detached garage or other accessory structure into living quarters unless it qualifies as a permitted ancillary dwelling unit under…

A carport is an accessory structure under the McHenry County UDO. In R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential districts detached accessory structures are limited to 14 feet (flat/mansard roof) or…

Unincorporated McHenry County requires every new permanent commercial or industrial light fixture to be fully shielded so its bulb cannot be seen through a neighboring home's window…

In unincorporated McHenry County, new permanent residential lighting must be positioned so the bulb or its reflective surface cannot be seen directly through a neighbor's window under…

Building a solid fence in unincorporated McHenry County requires a building permit from the Department of Planning & Development. Open (see-through) fences are exempt, though work near…

In unincorporated McHenry County, the Unified Development Ordinance caps a solid fence (obscuring more than 50% of the view) at six feet. Open fences may reach eight feet if they meet…

The McHenry County UDO requires the finished side of every fence to face away from your own lot, and posts must be placed on the inside. The whole fence must sit entirely within your…

The McHenry County UDO defines a fence broadly as a barrier of wood, masonry, stone, wire, metal, or a combination. Most materials are allowed; barbed wire and aboveground electric…

The McHenry County UDO sets no separate height cap for retaining walls, but a 'fence or wall' must sit entirely within your lot lines. Structural retaining walls are reviewed under the…

Rooftop and ground-mounted solar panels in unincorporated McHenry County are permitted under the county's amended 2021 International Residential Code, not through a separate solar-only…

McHenry County bars smoking within 15 feet of any entrance, exit, operable window, or ventilation intake at County-owned or leased buildings. The rule, set out in the county's Smoking…

Loitering on any McHenry County-controlled building or grounds is illegal under the county's Building Use Ordinance. Section 2.96.040(G) bars loitering, disorderly conduct, or any…

McHenry County requires a building permit before anyone builds, enlarges, alters, repairs, moves or demolishes a residential pool or spa in unincorporated territory, under the local…

Every outdoor residential pool, spa and hot tub in unincorporated McHenry County needs a barrier at least 48 inches tall under § 8.04.100(B)(3), with openings no wider than 4 inches…

A McHenry County restaurant or other fixed food establishment can't add a beer garden, pig roast, fish boil or outdoor grill without a separate Supplemental Outdoor Grilling Health…

Closing a County Highway in unincorporated McHenry County for a parade, marathon or festival needs a Temporary Highway Closure permit from the McHenry County Division of Transportation…

Unincorporated McHenry County landmarks and historic districts are nominated under County Code § 15.40.080. Any person may file a nomination with the McHenry County Planning…