Local Rules Near Northwestern University

Evanston banned gasoline- and propane-powered leaf blowers outright after April 1, 2023, under City Code § 8-26-5; only electric blowers may run today, with no seasonal restriction. Section 8-26-6 further limits every leaf blower, electric or not, to set hours on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and bars use entirely on recognized City holidays.

Evanston limits building construction, demolition, and repair noise to 7am-9pm weekdays and 8am-5pm Saturdays, with an 80-decibel cap after hours absent a City permit.

Evanston bars audible radios, TVs, phonographs and similar devices from running loud enough to be "plainly audible at a distance of fifty (50) feet" between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights, and between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, under City Code Section 9-5-20(G)(1). Hitting that threshold during quiet hours is treated as automatic, "prima facie," evidence of a violation.

Evanston bars loudspeakers and amplifiers within 150 feet of residential property and restricts operating hours, and requires a City Manager permit for any outdoor amplified sound.

Evanston bans playing a car radio, tape deck or other audio device loud enough to be audible to a person of normal hearing 75 feet away on any city street, under City Code Section 9-5-20(A)(5)(a). The rule exempts emergency vehicles and anyone operating under a valid City noise permit, and a first conviction draws a fine between $100 and $500, rising with repeat offenses within a year.

Evanston caps construction noise at 80 decibels measured from the property line during restricted evening and weekend hours, on top of the standard 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. building-work window.

Evanston makes excessive, continuous or untimely barking a public nuisance under City Code Section 9-4-13, alongside chasing vehicles, molesting passersby and habitually attacking other animals. A violation carries the Chapter's general fine of $10.00 to $500.00 per offense, and the City's separate noise ordinance also reaches animals kept tied up or shut in that disturb neighbors.

Evanston does not impose a hotel-style occupancy tax on vacation rentals; instead, City Code Section 5-9-4(F) sets flat licensing fees. Every applicant pays a nonrefundable $250 application fee, and every licensed vacation rental owes a $150 annual license fee, on top of the inspection, notice, and City Council review the rest of Section 5-9-4 requires.

Evanston fines vacation rental violations on an escalating scale -- $200 for a first offense, $500 for a second, and $750 for a third or later offense -- with each day of violation counted separately.

Evanston does not limit vacation rentals to owner-occupied homes, but a license for a non-primary residence needs Planning and Development Committee and City Council review; primary-residence applications get a lighter staff review.

Operating a vacation rental in Evanston without a City license is illegal; non-owner-occupied units need Planning and Development Committee review, a 250-foot neighbor notice, and City Council approval before a one-year license issues.

Evanston does not set a minimum parking count for vacation rentals; it instead requires every listing to disclose whether parking is available and to flag any neighborhood parking restrictions guests should expect.

Evanston allows in-ground, grade-level, and portable fire pits for wood fires if they sit at least 10 feet from a structure or combustibles, burn only seasoned wood, and stay attended with a 10-pound ABC extinguisher on hand.

Evanston requires working smoke alarms in every dwelling unit's sleeping areas, each bedroom, every story, and above interior stairways under the adopted Property Maintenance Code's fire safety chapter.

Evanston bans possessing, making, storing, selling, and using fireworks or explosives anywhere in the city, unless the Fire Official approves a professional display permit at least 15 days ahead.

Evanston lets the City Manager paint curbing yellow within a designated fire lane at his or her discretion, marking a no-parking zone in addition to required signage under the fire lane ordinance.

Evanston requires a City Manager permit to park any recreational vehicle on a street, caps each permit at seventy-two consecutive hours, limits vehicles to four permits per year, and prohibits overnight camping in the RV citywide.

Evanston bars parking a commercial vehicle, trailer, or bus overnight from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. on any block that's more than half residential, unless the owner holds a commercial vehicle parking permit.

Evanston can designate streets as resident-only parking districts once traffic counts show the area is impacted by commuter parking; only vehicles with a valid Evanston vehicle license may park there.

Evanston bans keeping any inoperative, unlicensed, or unregistered motor vehicle, boat, or trailer on private premises, and bars stripping or dismantling vehicles outdoors.

A snow route parking ban kicks in automatically after 2 inches of snow, and a citywide snow emergency after 4 inches triggers odd/even-side parking bans on non-route streets.

Evanston's Title 10, Chapter 6 lets the City Manager tow a vehicle immediately and without prior notice on nineteen listed grounds, from a snow route obstruction to a car sitting in a private lot against the property owner's wishes. Once the vehicle is gone the Police Department has twenty-four hours to notify you, you have seven days to demand a hearing, and you can take the car back the same day by posting a cash bond equal to the cost of the tow and storage.

In Evanston's residential districts, open off-street parking must sit within 30 feet of the rear lot line or alley, no parking in the front yard, and driveway pavement must meet the city's live-groundcover coverage standard.

Passenger curb loading zones cap stops at 3 minutes and freight zones at 30 minutes under Evanston's loading-zone rules: sign-designated by the Traffic Engineer.

New commercial and multifamily construction in Evanston must build electric vehicle charging capacity under City Code Section 4-2-2, which adopts and amends 2021 International Building Code Section 406.2.7. The rule sets minimum percentages of EVSE-Installed, EV-Ready, and EV-Capable parking spaces, and the Division of Building and Development Services enforces it through the building permit process.

Evanston bars stopping or parking on the roadway side of a curbed vehicle, in a bike lane, or within 8 feet of a driveway or 15 feet of a fire hydrant, with fines from $55 to $75.

Evanston restricts overnight street parking only in designated 'resident only parking districts'; District E-2, covering blocks near the Howard Street CTA line, bars non-permit vehicles from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. daily.

Evanston requires a certificate of zoning compliance before any fence is erected, constructed, installed, or replaced: a rule that has applied citywide to every fence built since April 1, 1999.

Evanston limits residential and mixed-use fences to six named materials, wood, recycled-content wood-polymer lumber, wrought iron, masonry, restricted chain link, and ASTM-compliant PVC, with no other material allowed under the zoning ordinance.

Evanston caps most fences at 6 feet, drops that to 4 feet near the front facade, and allows 8 feet along a lot line bordering a nonresidential use, with mandatory low-height sight triangles at corners.

Evanston does not restrict dogs by breed: City Code Section 9-4-3-1 requires a license be issued to any dog owner "irrespective of the breed type," and Section 5-3-3-3(A)(13) makes any rental-agreement clause banning a specific dog breed unenforceable. Instead, the Chief of Police can individually declare a dog "dangerous" under Section 9-4-17 based on documented behavior, triggering confinement, muzzling, insurance and licensing requirements regardless of breed.

Declawing a cat anywhere in Evanston is illegal unless a licensed veterinarian certifies the procedure is medically necessary. City Code Section 9-4-22(B) bans onychectomy, tendonectomy and every other method of removing or disabling a cat's claws for convenience, and violators face a $2,000.00 fine for every cat declawed.

Evanston caps any premises at three dogs under City Code Section 9-4-3-2(A), and dogs under four months old don't count toward that limit. Kennels, pet shops and veterinary clinics that are separately authorized to house more animals are exempt. A stricter one-dog cap applies to dangerous dogs under Section 9-4-3-2(B), with only veterinary care exempted from that limit.

Evanston has no citywide spay-or-neuter law, but City Code Section 9-4-17(H) makes spaying or neutering mandatory for any dog the Chief of Police designates a "dangerous dog." Once designated, the owner must have the dog spayed or neutered and microchipped, both at the owner's own expense, before the dog can be released.

Evanston bans keeping any wild or vicious animal on residential premises outright under City Code Section 9-4-16, with no permit path for ordinary households. The only exemptions cover licensed zoological gardens, theatrical exhibits and circuses, and even those cannot force animals to perform using chemical, electrical or mechanical devices. The Animal Control Warden, the Chief of Police acting ex officio, enforces the ban, and repeat violations can bar someone from ever owning a pet in Evanston again.

Evanston requires every animal except cats to be kept under restraint at all times under City Code Section 9-4-7(A). Dogs and cats can't enter food establishments even on a leash, can't set foot on school grounds or public beaches other than the designated dog beach, and must stay leashed on any public park or playground.

Pet stores in Evanston cannot sell, barter, or give away cats, dogs, or rabbits: they can only host adoption events for licensed rescues, with no ownership stake or fee for the space.

Evanston bans horses, swine, sheep, goats, cattle and poultry generally, but allows a licensed coop of 2 to 6 hens, with roosters barred outside school agricultural programs.

Animal hospitals need special use approval in Evanston's B1 business district, going through public hearing review rather than automatic permitting like retail or restaurant uses.

Evanston permits residential beekeeping under Title 9 (Animals) of the City Code with registration and setback requirements. Beekeepers must register hives with the city and maintain them according to Illinois Department of Agriculture standards. Hives must be set back from property lines and a flyway barrier is required when hives are near neighboring yards.

Killing, wounding, or trying to kill or wound any game or song bird within Evanston, or taking its eggs or young, is an offense under City Code Section 9-4-15. The violation carries the Animal Chapter's general fine of $10.00 to $500.00 per offense, enforced by the Animal Control Warden and Evanston Police.

Evanston bans loose feed scattered on the ground for wild or feral mammals and birds: Section 8-3-8-2 requires all feed sit inside an approved container or feeder. The chapter caps how many feeders a lot may have, limits feeder size and placement, and fines violators ten to seven hundred fifty dollars.

Evanston property owners must cut weeds and turf grass before they exceed eight inches (8") under City Code § 8-5-2, and Section 8-5-3 extends that duty to the parkway abutting each lot. If an owner ignores a violation notice, the City mows the property and files a lien against it with the Cook County Recorder of Deeds to recover the cost.

Evanston limits lawn irrigation to odd-numbered addresses on odd calendar dates and even addresses on even dates from May 15 through September 15, with no watering citywide between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

When a protected tree is removed under a City permit, Evanston requires replacement at a rate up to 175% of the removed tree's diameter, or a mitigation fee paid in lieu of some or all of the trees.

Evanston lets residents compost via the City's food and yard waste program: Kraft paper bags up to 30 gallons or roll-out carts, with weight and branch-size limits set by City code.

Evanston makes overhanging tree branches a declared nuisance: property owners must keep boughs, limbs, and twigs trimmed so they clear at least 8 feet above a sidewalk or bike lane, and 14 feet above a street or alley, under the City's right-of-way code.

Evanston allows home occupations in any residential district, but the operator must live in the unit and minor home businesses can't exceed 15% or 400 square feet of floor area.

Evanston allows a child daycare home as a permitted accessory use in every residential district under City Code Section 6-4-2-1, meaning no special use permit or zoning variance is required. The home must still get a registration permit from the City's Health Department under Title 8, Chapter 15, which requires a state DCFS license, a background-check disclosure, and inspection before the City signs off.

Evanston prohibits any signage, advertising, or display identifying a home occupation, plus separate business entrances: the property must look purely residential from the street.

Evanston restricts home occupation client and pupil visits to the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., a citywide zoning standard enforced by the Zoning Administrator under Title 6.

Evanston requires a building permit before any in-ground or substantial above-ground residential pool goes in, issued by Building and Development Services under the adopted 2021 International Building Code. Small prefab above-ground pools no deeper than 24 inches and under 1,200 gallons skip the permit, but every pool, permitted or not, must sit at least 10 feet from any property line and stay inside a rear yard in a residential district.

Evanston allows one accessory dwelling unit per zoning lot, attached, internal, or detached, capped at 1,000 square feet for new construction, with no minimum lot size or owner-occupancy requirement.

Evanston allows garden sheds in residential rear yards but bans housing birds, poultry (other than hens), or livestock in them, and caps detached accessory coverage at 40% of the rear yard.

Evanston has adopted Appendix AQ, Tiny Houses, of the 2021 International Residential Code by name under City Code Section 4-9-2, giving tiny houses their own construction standard.

Evanston lets homeowners convert an existing detached garage or accessory building into a coach-house ADU, and a converted structure that already fails a zoning standard is grandfathered rather than forced to conform.

Evanston does not require the property owner to live on-site to have an accessory dwelling unit, but the ADU must stay under common ownership with the main house and house no more than one family.

Evanston bars barbecue grills from stairs and porches that serve as building exits, but allows them on balconies or at ground level if a fire extinguisher stays close by.

Evanston requires an approved erosion and sediment control plan before it issues a building permit for any site that disturbs more than 5,000 square feet, under City Code § 4-23-5. The plan must follow Illinois Urban Manual best management practices, route runoff through sediment controls at every construction phase, and get permanent stabilization measures started within seven days after grading work ends.

New and substantially improved residential buildings in Evanston's mapped floodplain must have their lowest floor, including any basement, elevated to the Flood Protection Elevation, defined as the base flood elevation plus one foot of freeboard, under City Code § 4-13-8(C)(2). The base flood elevation itself is set from FEMA's Cook County Flood Insurance Study dated September 10, 2021, under § 4-13-4(A).

Any new construction, substantial improvement, or watercourse alteration in Evanston's floodplain requires a floodplain development permit from the Floodplain Administrator before any work begins.

Evanston requires on-site storm water detention and release-rate control for all new developments, mandatory once a project's footprint tops 5,000 square feet and construction costs exceed the parcel's full assessed value.

In Evanston, a standing or parked motor vehicle weighing 8,000 pounds or more must not idle for more than five minutes in any 60-minute period on any public street, public place, or private property. City Code Section 10-4-18-1 lists eleven exceptions, from traffic congestion to bus passenger comfort, and violators face a $150 fine under Section 10-4-18-2.

Cannabis dispensaries need special-use approval and are allowed only in Evanston's downtown, commercial, office, and RP districts: never in a residential district or inside any dwelling unit.

Cannabis dispensaries must sit at least 1,500 feet from any other dispensary and 500 feet from an existing school, measured lot line to lot line under Evanston's zoning code.

Evanston treats solar collectors as a permitted accessory use in every zoning district, no special-use hearing required, but panels must meet specific setback, height, and footprint standards.

Evanston caps exterior lighting at 0.5 foot-candle at the property line, but holiday lighting is exempted from that cap as long as it meets the adopted NFPA 70 National Electric Code wiring standards.

Temporary window signs in Evanston can cover only 25% of the window area, rising to 35% if no other permanent signage is used, and must show a display date.

Political and campaign signs are exempt from Evanston's sign permit but capped at six square feet per occupancy and confined to private property under City Code Section 6-19-5(S). Anything larger, illuminated, or placed in the public right-of-way falls outside the exemption and becomes an unpermitted sign, since Section 6-19-6 prohibits any sign not specifically permitted in the Chapter.

Every vacant lot in Evanston must be filled, graded, and seeded or sodded under City Code § 4-2-2, Evanston's local amendment to 2021 International Building Code § 3303.4. Before any demolition permit issues, the owner must escrow funds with the Community Development Department to cover grading, topsoil, and seeding, and must reseed or sod within fifteen days if no new structure starts within sixty days of the teardown.

Property owners, landlords, and occupants must clear a 36-inch path of snow and ice from abutting sidewalks within 24 hours of a snowfall, or face fines up to $450.

Evanston can declare a building a public nuisance and order it closed, secured, repaired, vacated, or demolished if it's structurally unsafe, fire-damaged, or unsanitary under the city's Dangerous Buildings Code.

Illuminated signs in Evanston, including any billboard-type structure, cannot exceed 75 foot-candles of brightness, dropping to 50 in residential zoning districts and 1 on adjoining residential property.

Evanston caps outdoor lighting at half a foot-candle measured at the property line. Section 402.4 of the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, adopted and enforced as Evanston City Code Section 5-1-3, bars exterior lighting that causes light trespass or glare onto neighboring properties and the public way, with narrow exceptions for motion-activated security lights and holiday lighting.

Evanston caps exterior lighting at one-half foot-candle measured at the property line, barring glare and light trespass onto neighboring properties and public ways.

Owners must file a registration statement with the Health and Human Services Department before renting any dwelling unit for the first time as permanent housing, then renew it every year.

Evanston's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance requires every housing provider to keep rental premises in substantial compliance with City codes and to promptly make necessary repairs.

Evanston bans depositing litter or waste on any private or public property in the city, including vacant lots and alleys, under the littering provisions of Title 8, Chapter 3.

Evanston does not mandate food-scrap or yard-waste separation. Code § 8-4-5 only 'encourages' property owners to use the food and yard waste cart or the year-round food-scrap program.

Evanston's Public Works Department collects municipal solid waste once a week from single-family homes and multi-family buildings of five units or fewer, and twice a week from owner-occupied condo, co-op and townhouse complexes of six or more units via a contracted private scavenger. Carts go out no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the night before and must come off the curb by 7:00 p.m. collection day.

Evanston sets exact curb hours for trash carts, out no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before pickup, off the curb by 7 p.m. on collection day, plus alley collection-site rules.

Evanston requires recyclables, paper, cartons, glass, aluminum, steel, and plastics coded 1-5 and 7, to be cleaned and set out separately from trash; mixing in non-recyclables can trigger a special collection fee.

Evanston residents may set out yard waste in City roll-out carts, 30-gallon Kraft paper bags, or tied bundles: branches must be under 4 inches thick, bundles no more than 4 feet long and 3 feet across, tied with cloth only.

Evanston requires business and multifamily dumpsters to display the property's name and address, locks them downtown, and sets a minimum weekly capacity for buildings over four units.

Operating a mobile food vehicle anywhere in Evanston without a City license is unlawful under City Code Section 8-23-2. Vendors pay a $500 annual fee, $250 if the license is issued after July 1, carry $1,000,000 in liability insurance, and must prove restroom access within 200 feet if the vehicle is parked over two hours. Licenses cover one vehicle only and expire December 31 each year.

Selling food on Evanston sidewalks by pack, pushcart or wagon requires a peddler's license from the City Collector under City Code Section 3-11-2, with fees set by Section 3-11-3: $50.00 for a pack or pushcart peddler and $135.00 for a wagon or motor vehicle peddler. Food peddling is barred within 500 feet of schools in session and outside the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

City Code Section 8-23-3 tells Evanston mobile food vendors exactly where they can and can't park. The Director of the Public Works Agency must approve every location, and vending is barred within 30 feet of an intersection, within 100 feet of a licensed restaurant or the listed City parks, within 500 feet of a school in session, and within 500 feet of a permitted City event.

Evanston requires anyone peddling goods door-to-door or on public streets to obtain a City Collector license, register with references and photos, and carry a photo ID card at all times while working.

Evanston bans minors under 17 from public places and business premises during set curfew hours: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Parents, guardians, and establishment operators who knowingly allow a minor to violate curfew face their own separate offense under City Code § 9-6-1.

Evanston parks close overnight, open only from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, with playgrounds and tot lots limited to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; being in a park outside those hours is unlawful.

Evanston's R1 single-family district requires a 27-foot front yard, 15-foot street side yard, 5-foot interior side yard, and 30-foot rear yard for residential structures.

Evanston limits principal structures in the R1 single-family district to 35 feet or two and a half stories, whichever is less, measured from grade.

In Evanston's R1 single-family district, buildings can cover no more than 30 percent of the lot under City Code § 6-8-2-7, and total impervious surface, pavement, driveways, pools and similar hard surfaces, is capped separately at 45 percent under § 6-8-2-10. Decks, permeable paving and qualifying open porches get partial exemptions; anything beyond the caps needs a variation from the Zoning Board of Appeals or Land Use Commission.

Evanston protects trees once they hit a minimum trunk diameter tied to their species-quality group: any public tree at 2 inches DBH, and any private Group A through D tree at 6 inches DBH, becomes a "Protected Tree" triggering permit and replacement rules.

Evanston caps what residents can plant in the street parkway: shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, and annuals can't mature taller than 3 feet, new parkway trees must sit 15 feet from any crosswalk, and any parkway planting needs a free Public Works permit.

Evanston requires a certificate of zoning compliance before any temporary use, including a garage or yard sale, can legally be established, with the Zoning Administrator deciding each application.

Evanston's condominium ordinance forces the developer to hand control to an elected board of unit owners within 30 days after 60% of units sell, and requires a majority of that board to actually live in the building.

Evanston requires condo boards to keep meeting minutes for seven years, retain ballots and proxies for a year, and hand owners requested records within ten business days of a written request.

The City Manager investigates complaints and can conciliate, secure a written assurance of discontinuance, or seek an injunction against declarants who violate Evanston's Residential Condominium Ordinance.

Evanston's condominium ordinance makes the developer pay regular assessments on every unit it still owns, just like any other owner, following the payment rules set by the Illinois Condominium Property Act.

Unit owners and tenants can sue a declarant directly in court for violations of Evanston's Residential Condominium Ordinance, with triple punitive damages and attorney's fees available.

Anyone filming a media broadcast, motion picture or still commercial photo shoot in an Evanston park must first get a permit from the Director of Parks/Forestry and Recreation under Evanston City Code Section 7-10-8(D)1.b. The application requires a fee, an indemnification agreement, and insurance naming the City as additional insured, and sometimes a security deposit; permit violations draw civil fines up to $750 per day.

Evanston building inspectors can enter and examine any building or premises to check code compliance, but only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., never on Sunday, and only with a complaint, a scheduled sweep, or firsthand knowledge of a violation.

Evanston requires a permit before any plumbing system installation, alteration, or replacement, and enforces the 2014 Illinois Plumbing Code adopted by City Code Section 4-5-1.

Evanston requires an automatic sprinkler system, designed to NFPA 13D, in every new one- and two-family dwelling, with a narrow exception for additions to existing unsprinklered homes.

Evanston has adopted the 2020 National Electrical Code by reference under City Code Section 4-6-1, with permit fees for electrical work set by City Council under Section 4-6-4.

Evanston requires deadbolt locks with at least a 1-inch throw and hardened steel components on entry doors to individual units in non-owner-occupied rental housing, under the Building Security chapter.

Evanston requires a certificate of zoning compliance from the Zoning Administrator before any structure, including a deck or patio, is built, and zoning confines decks and patios to the rear yard only.

Every Evanston dwelling unit must have a working carbon monoxide alarm within 15 feet of each sleeping room. Owners install and supply units; tenants must test and maintain them.

Evanston requires a watertight scaffold or temporary roof over the sidewalk whenever construction rises above four stories near the street line, with design specs the Public Works Director must approve.

New construction and additions of 10,000+ square feet to commercial, multifamily, or City-financed buildings in Evanston must earn a LEED Gold rating or equivalent under the city's Green Building Ordinance.

Evanston housing providers must give every tenant the EPA lead-paint pamphlet and disclose any known lead hazards before renting; failing to fix that within seven days after notice costs a month's rent or actual damages plus attorney's fees.

Outdoor heaters at year-round sidewalk cafes must sit at least three feet from anything combustible, carry a safety listing, and pass Fire Department review before Public Works signs off.

Evanston lets restaurants build a streatery, an on-street dining platform over parking spaces, under strict size, barrier, and clearance rules approved by the Public Works Director and a licensed engineer.

Evanston requires an annual City permit for any sidewalk cafe or streatery, running April through November, with tighter Director or City Council review near residential zones or for alcohol sales.

Evanston lets residents close a street for a one-day block party, but only May 1 through September 30, with a permit filed at least ten business days ahead through the 311 System.

Evanston requires a permit from the Parks/Forestry and Recreation Department for any park gathering over 30 people, plus performances, amplified sound, or structures, with fees, insurance, and an indemnification agreement.

Any parade or procession using Evanston streets, other than a funeral procession, needs a City Manager permit filed 10 to 365 days ahead; sidewalk-only events are exempt.

Evanston requires a Public Works permit before anyone occupies the public right-of-way for construction, remodeling, or building maintenance, backed by a bond and at least $1,000,000 in liability insurance.

Evanston keeps public sidewalks and rights-of-way free of encumbrances, obstructions, and encroachments, with fines escalating from $100 to $500 for repeat violations within a year.

Evanston property owners and occupants must raise, lower, or repair the sidewalk in front of their lot once the Director of Public Works orders it, on the City's timeline.

Evanston makes loud, excessive noise from loading or unloading vehicles, or from opening and breaking down boxes and crates, unlawful unless the person takes reasonable care to limit and confine the sound.

Evanston caps noise from mechanical equipment, including HVAC systems, at 55 dBA measured at the property line. Section 313.1, added to the 2021 International Mechanical Code by Evanston City Code Section 4-7-2, averages that limit over any 15-minute period and exempts only emergency back-up generators from the standard.

Bars, clubs, and other venues in Evanston cannot run loudspeakers or amplifiers loud enough to carry onto a public way within 150 feet of residential property.

Evanston requires any vehicle burglar alarm to shut itself off within four minutes of activation and prevents it from re-triggering without being manually reset, under City Code Section 9-5-20(A)(4)(a). An alarm that runs longer, or that re-arms itself automatically, is treated as prohibited noise, and police can tow the offending vehicle to the City pound and bill the registered owner for the cost.

Evanston's code official can enter and inspect a rental unit once there is reasonable cause, typically a tenant's report, to believe a Property Maintenance Code violation exists there.

Every dwelling unit rented in Evanston for the first time must be registered with the Community Development Department and pass a City inspection against the International Property Maintenance Code before renting, under City Code § 5-8-3(C)-(D). After registration, inspection, and a $200 fee, the Director issues a certificate of registration listing the unit's maximum occupancy, and the City renews the cycle every year.

Evanston's tree code singles out exotic and invasive species for lighter treatment: a Group D or otherwise invasive tree over 6 inches DBH on private property can be removed with just a tree preservation permit, and replacement mitigation is only encouraged, not required.

Evanston's Welcoming City Ordinance bars city agencies and police from asking about immigration status, sharing it with ICE, or holding people on civil detainers alone, except for valid criminal warrants signed by a judge.

Evanston treats low-speed electric bicycles as bicycles, splitting them into Class 1, 2, and 3 by speed and throttle, and restricts Class 3 riders by age and bans them from bike lanes and sidewalks.

Evanston bans stopping, standing, or parking a vehicle that blocks all or part of a marked bicycle lane, backed by a mandatory $75 fine and the City's authority to tow blocking vehicles.

Evanston grants zoning density, FAR, and parking bonuses in its B, C, M, and O districts to covered developments that include on-site affordable units under the city's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance.

Buildings along Benson, Church, Davis, Orrington and Sherman in downtown Evanston must rise straight up from the lot line to 24-42 feet, then step back 40 feet before continuing higher: the city's 'ziggurat' massing rule.

Evanston property owners must keep structures and yards free of rodent harborage, exterminate infestations with integrated pest management, and store materials 12 inches off the ground.

Evanston taxes hotel, motel, bed-and-breakfast, and vacation rental stays at 7.5% of gross rent, collected from guests and remitted monthly to the City Collector.

Evanston bars selling tobacco or liquid nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, within 150 feet of any school and bans flavored vape and tobacco products outright, on top of the citywide retail license.

Tattoo studios in Evanston must hold a City-issued license, pass health inspections, and follow strict sanitation, sterilization, and record-keeping rules, and only licensed physicians may tattoo anyone under eighteen.

Evanston caps pawnbroker licenses at two citywide, requires a $125 annual fee, a $2,000 surety bond, and Chief of Police oversight of applications, daily transaction records, and minors are barred from pawning goods.

Evanston pedestrians must cross at right angles or use a crosswalk under two rules in City Code Title 10, Chapter 7. Section 10-7-1 requires right-angle crossing absent a marked crosswalk, and Section 10-7-2 bans crossing outside a crosswalk in any business district or on a through street marked with a crosswalk. Violations carry the citywide general penalty of $20 to $750.

Evanston's Clean Air Act bans smoking "weed, plant or other organic substance" intended for smoking, covering cannabis, across a long list of public places under Section 8-18-5, including beaches, playgrounds, sidewalk cafes and shopping malls. Smoking is further barred within 25 feet of doors, windows and air intakes under Section 8-18-6. Violators face a $100-$500 infraction fine, with steeper fines for property owners who fail to enforce it.

Evanston bars anyone without school business from loitering, wandering, or trespassing on public school grounds while school is in session, targeting non-students and non-employees under Municipal Code Section 9-11-3.

Evanston's Clean Air Act bans smoking on beaches, at playgrounds and tot lots, and at City-licensed sidewalk cafes under City Code § 8-18-5, and Section 8-18-6 adds a twenty-five foot buffer around the doors, windows and air intakes of any building where smoking is already prohibited.

Evanston bars drinking or carrying an open container of alcohol in parks, streets, sidewalks, and other public property, with fines of $500 to $750 per offense.

Evanston bans panhandling or soliciting "in an aggressive manner" under City Code Section 9-5-25(C), defining eight specific aggressive acts: cornering someone at an ATM, repeating a request after a stationary person refuses, touching someone without consent, blocking a path or entrance, following a person, using profane or abusive language, and behavior that would make a reasonable person feel harassed or intimidated. Violations are a public nuisance punishable by a fine or community service.

Urinating or defecating on an Evanston street, sidewalk, park, or other public place -- or anywhere in public view -- is unlawful, enforced under the City's general penalty provision.

Two noise citations at the same Evanston address within twelve months lets the City declare the property a "nuisance premises," putting mandatory abatement duties on the owner, manager, or occupant.

Evanston City Code Section 7-10-3(C) bars skateboards from every tennis court and basketball court the City operates, alongside bicycles, motorized vehicles, rollerblades, skates and scooters. The same section caps basketball play to 8:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m. City Manager designees, including Parks and Recreation staff, enforce the rule under Section 7-10-6, and violators face the Code's general penalty.

Evanston charges 60 cents per 24-hour period to park in any commercial lot or garage, with flat weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual rates for longer-term parkers.

Evanston taxes retailers and service businesses separately under its home-rule occupation tax: 1.25% on retail sales of tangible goods, 1.25% on service-related tangible property transfers.