Will County, IL Filming & Production: Production Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing rule
- County noise nuisance ordinance, Ch. 93
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Will County only
- Enforced by
- County Sheriff's Police
- General penalty
- $100 to $1,000 fine
- Road-closing shoots
- Need separate WCDOT special event permit
Summary
Film and TV productions in unincorporated Will County must keep noise from carrying beyond the property line, per the county's noise nuisance ordinance enforced by the Sheriff's Police.
It is further declared that no person or business entity shall cause or allow the emission of sound beyond the boundaries of his or her property as prohibited by the provisions of 35 Ill. Admin. Code, Ch. 1, §§ 900.1 et seq., as presently enacted or subsequently amended, shall be deemed a public nuisance from which legal remedies shall be available.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance No. 24-100, passed 4-18-2024 and Res. 23-387, passed 11-16-2023; and State legislation approved through 2024 Pamphlet #2).
Full Breakdown
Will County's noise nuisance ordinance (Ch. 93) bars any person or business from emitting sound beyond a property line that exceeds the Illinois Pollution Control Board's property-line noise limits, with no exemption for film or TV production. A production that also qualifies as a zoning temporary-use 'event of public interest' must additionally show its noise complies with all applicable county noise regulations under the zoning code, and any production closing a county highway needs a separate special event permit from WCDOT. These rules reach only unincorporated Will County; Joliet, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Plainfield and Lockport enforce their own municipal codes.
Violations & Fines
Violations are enforced by the County Sheriff via non-traffic citation or injunctive relief in circuit court; general code violations carry a $100-$1,000 fine, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a noise exemption for movie or TV shoots in Will County?
Does a film production need a permit to close a Will County road?
Do Joliet or Bolingbrook enforce this same rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Will County
Compare Will County to another location·View the Illinois filming & production overview
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