Cook County has no countywide equivalent of Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18 anti-camping ordinance. Suburban municipalities set their own rules, and the Forest Preserve District (FPDCC Code Ch. 9) prohibits camping and overnight stays on its 70,000 acres.
Cook County's general code does not criminalize sleeping or camping on public property in unincorporated areas. Each of the ~130 suburbs sets its own approach: Evanston, Oak Park, and Skokie focus on services-first outreach with limited enforcement; others (Rosemont, Schaumburg) maintain stricter loitering rules. The Forest Preserve District of Cook County (separate jurisdiction, 70,000 acres) enforces FPDCC Ord. Ch. 9 prohibiting overnight camping, structures, and after-hours presence; rangers and Sheriff coordinate removals. Following Martin v. Boise (9th Cir. 2018) and City of Grants Pass v. Johnson (U.S. 2024), enforcement strategies vary based on shelter availability in each municipality.
Forest Preserve camping violates FPDCC Ch. 9, fine $75-$500 plus eviction. Suburban anti-camping fines vary $50-$500 per day. No county-tier ordinance applies in unincorporated residential areas.
See how Oak Lawn's lamc §41.18 encampment rule rules stack up against other locations.
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