Peoria, IL

Peoria's stormwater technical guidance approves rain barrels and rain cisterns as water reuse systems developers can use to meet the city's mandatory volume control requirement for new…

Removing a healthy public tree from the parkway in front of a Peoria property isn't a property owner's unilateral call: City Code Sec. 29-4(b) requires the city arborist to confirm the…

Peoria allows composting on community garden and urban farm sites only inside a container, using material generated on that same site. Section 5.3.2.G of the Unified Development Code…

Peoria caps weeds and grass at ten inches tall on any property under City Code Section 13-1's definition, and Section 13-77 bans letting weeds grow at all. Owners of occupied lots get…

Every Peoria property owner bordering a street with overhanging trees must keep branches trimmed to a minimum seven feet above sidewalks and 16 feet above streets under City Code Sec…

Peoria's weed ordinance defines weeds as noxious vegetation and grasses over ten inches tall, but Sec. 13-1 expressly carves out cultivated flowers, gardens, and native plants. A yard…

Peoria's Unified Development Code lets short-term rentals operate by right only where the owner personally occupies an Estate Residential or Single-Family Residential property…

Peoria caps short-term rental stays at six adult guests at any one time, on top of whatever maximum occupancy the Building and Fire Code otherwise sets for the unit. Section 5.3.3.B.3…

Peoria only allows a short-term rental by right in its Estate Residential and Single-Family Residential districts, and the Form Districts R-4 Frontage and West Main Local Frontage…

Peoria treats short-term rentals like Airbnb stays the same as hotel rooms for tax purposes: the same 7 percent room tax plus 1 percent tourism fund tax, 8 percent total, has applied…

Short-term rental guests follow the same noise rules as residents: the City of Peoria's noise code, including Sec. 15-62's 10 p.m. limit, and disorderly conduct law, 720 ILCS 5/26-1…

Peoria bans open burning citywide unless the fire marshal has approved it under the Peoria Fire Department Open Burning Policy. City Code Sec. 11-161 makes it unlawful to kindle or…

Peoria regulates LP-gas cylinder storage through its amended fire code at City Code § 11-92(l): containers awaiting use, resale, or exchange must sit at least 20 feet from building…

Peoria requires every registered rental dwelling to have working smoke detectors as a life-safety condition checked during city inspections. The requirement is enforced through the…

Illinois strictly limits consumer fireworks, and that holds across Peoria County. Only sparklers, snakes, and novelties are legal. Firecrackers, Roman candles, bottle rockets, and any…

In the City of Peoria you need a $10 recreational burn permit before lighting a backyard fire, and the pit must sit at least 25 feet from any structure. Burn only seasoned dry firewood…

Peoria requires every motor vehicle on a public street to run a muffler that prevents excessive noise, and Sec. 15-68 sets a sliding decibel ceiling by distance, from 85 decibels at 50…

Sec. 15-69 bars running any noise-creating blower, power fan, electric motor or internal combustion engine in a way that disturbs neighbors' peace, and treats such equipment running…

Peoria Code of Ordinances Sec. 15-62 (Radios, phonographs, etc.) is the city's primary nighttime quiet-hours rule. It prohibits operating any radio receiving set, musical instrument…

Peoria's Sec. 15-63 flatly bars using any radio, loudspeaker, phonograph or other sound-amplifying device to advertise a business or attract public attention to a building or…

Peoria's Unified Development Code sets numeric octave-band sound pressure limits in Section 4.5.7.C.1.c for noise crossing from an industrial district into a receiving residential…

In Peoria's industrial zoning districts, the Unified Development Code exempts temporary construction equipment from the chapter's noise performance standards only between 7:00 a.m. and…

Under Sec. 4-22(a)(3), a dog, cat or other animal that disturbs neighbors with excessive barking, caterwauling or other noisemaking is a legal "nuisance animal." A complainant-backed…

Aircraft noise in Illinois is governed exclusively by federal aviation law, leaving cities and the state without authority to regulate flight operations or in-flight sound.

Peoria sets no hard cap on dogs or cats, but City Code Sec. 4-1 defines a "multiple-pet owner" as anyone harboring more than four dogs or cats combined, over four months old, in one…

Sec. 4-2 bars owners from letting any dog, cat or other animal run loose off their own property; the animal must be confined or under restraint at all times. Sec. 4-1 defines restraint…

Peoria doesn't require owners to microchip pets in advance, but Sec. 4-56(b) makes the animal shelter scan every impounded dog or cat for a chip under the Illinois Animal Control Act…

Peoria has no separate cat license, but Sec. 4-63 requires owners to confine a female cat (or dog) in heat inside a building or secure enclosure. Letting her roam is a violation, and…

Peoria's Unified Development Code lists animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and pet clinics as a permitted use in the O1, O2, CN, C1, CG, C2, B1, I1, I2 and I3 zoning districts, but…

Sec. 4-4 prohibits keeping farm animals citywide, naming swine, sheep, cattle, goats, horses, poultry and rabbits specifically, unless the zoning ordinance permits the use or the…

Sec. 4-3 bans keeping any wild animal in Peoria outright, limiting ownership to licensed zoos, veterinary hospitals, shelters and documented service-animal trainers. A narrow list of…

Peoria's Code of Ordinances Chapter 5 (Animals) does not include an express beekeeping ordinance permitting urban apiaries in residential districts. Bees are typically treated as…

Peoria County does not single out any dog breed for restriction: the code says vicious dogs cannot be classified by breed. Instead, a court declares a dog vicious case-by-case, based…

Illinois Wildlife Code prohibits feeding deer and similar wildlife in many counties to prevent chronic wasting disease spread, with statewide enforcement authority.

Peoria bans parking trucks, tractors, semitrailers, trailers or buses on residential streets beyond the time reasonably needed for loading or unloading, under Sec. 28-251(a). Pickup…

Peoria bars parking longer than two hours between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. within the downtown district bounded by Jackson Street, the Illinois River, Kumpf Boulevard and Glendale…

Peoria automatically bans parking on any snow emergency route once two inches of snow or ice have accumulated and another inch is forecast, under Sec. 28-386(a)(1). The ban runs 48…

Peoria caps loading-zone stops under Sec. 28-369: no more than three minutes for passenger loading, and no more than 30 minutes total for loading or unloading materials. Commercial…

Peoria's traffic code bars parking within five feet of any driveway or alley and prohibits standing in front of a driveway except to drop off passengers, under City Code Sec. 28-246…

Peoria's Unified Development Code limits how many recreational vehicles, trailers, and boats can sit outside in a residential yard. A qualifying Class I unit, up to 23 feet long, 8…

Peoria residents can petition for a Residential Parking Permit Program on residentially zoned streets under Sec. 28-411, requiring signatures from at least 51 percent of area property…

Parking on an unpaved surface at a residential property in Peoria is a declared public nuisance under City Code Section 13-101. Section 13-102 requires every vehicle to sit on a…

Peoria makes it unlawful to abandon a vehicle on any street or highway under Sec. 28-341, letting police impound it to an authorized garage. On private property, Sec. 28-349 declares…

Illinois law guarantees renters and condo owners the right to install EV charging stations, preempting local restrictions on residential charging access at multi-unit buildings.

Illinois runs two layers of private-property towing law, and which one you are under depends on the county. Statewide, 625 ILCS 5/4-203(f) governs every nonconsensual tow from private…

Peoria caps home-business foot traffic at eight visitors in any 24-hour period, with no more than four on-site at once, under Unified Development Code Section 5.4.7(B)(17). Visitors…

Peoria bars home occupations from displaying any sign at all: Unified Development Code Section 5.4.7(B)(12) prohibits "advertising, signs, display, or other indications of a home…

Peoria's Unified Development Code requires a home-based child care business to obtain administrative approval from the Zoning Administrator under Section 5.3.2.A before operating, and…

Peoria allows home occupations in residential districts under Unified Development Code Section 5.4.7, but only if the business owner lives on-site, all activity stays inside the…

Illinois expanded home food sales with the 2022 Home-to-Market Act. A cottage food operator registers with the Peoria City/County Health Department, not the state. Registration in…

Peoria's zoning code treats a retaining wall as a permitted yard obstruction, but only if it meets the same height limits as a fence: the wall's top must follow the established grade…

Peoria's code prohibits any fence or barrier under six feet high made wholly or partly of barbed wire along city streets, alleys, public walks and drives, through or around public…

Peoria's zoning code caps residential fences at 3 feet in the front and corner side yard and 6 feet in the side and rear yard under Unified Development Code Section 5.4.6(C), with a…

Anyone erecting a fence in unincorporated Peoria County needs a building permit from the Zoning Administrator first, per UDO Section 7.4.1, unless the fence serves agriculture. Short…

Under the Illinois Fence Act (765 ILCS 130/3), adjoining landowners must each build and maintain a just proportion of the division fence between their properties. A legal fence stands…

Peoria caps residential accessory storage buildings, including sheds, by lot type: a single-family home with an attached garage gets one shed up to 1,092 square feet, while a home…

Peoria County allows one accessory dwelling per residential lot, but only within, or attached to, the principal detached dwelling: it must share the driveway, stay under half the main…

Peoria County requires a building permit for above-ground and in-ground residential pools, and no pool permit issues until the barrier is in place. The Illinois Counties Code gives the…

Illinois law lets Peoria County and the City of Peoria require a barrier around a residential pool, and the county will not issue a pool permit until that barrier is in place. It…

Peoria bans standing, sitting, lying or walking in a manner that blocks a public street, sidewalk or building under Code Sec. 20-96. A police officer must first order the person to…

Peoria bans unauthorized camping and storage of personal property on any street, bridge, park or public property under Code Sec. 20-120, adopted in November 2024. Officers must give a…

Peoria bars carrying alcohol on a public way unless it's in the original package with an unbroken seal, and bans drinking it entirely in public under Code Sec. 20-99. The rule covers…

Peoria's indecency ordinance, Code Sec. 20-121, makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate in a public place outside a restroom, or to expose private body parts attempting to do so…

Peoria's Sec. 20-220 lets police order suspected gang members to disperse from designated hot-spot areas; disobeying, or returning within three hours, is a crime carrying up to six…

Peoria treats a party of ten or more as a 'nuisance gathering' once two of fifteen listed offenses occur, from underage drinking to disorderly conduct. Hosts, property owners and even…

Peoria bans skateboarding on any roadway except at crosswalks, and bans it entirely on sidewalks and public areas within the downtown zone bounded by the Illinois River, William Kumpf…

Peoria's traffic code doesn't ban crossing mid-block outright, but Sec. 28-222 requires any pedestrian crossing outside a marked or unmarked crosswalk to yield the right-of-way to all…

Peoria County bans smoking at both public entrances to its courthouse. Section 7.3-27(h) of the county code draws a specific no-smoking zone around the Jefferson Street entrance…

Peoria residents can close a local residential street for a block party only with city manager approval under Code Secs. 21-121 and 21-122. Only a resident of that street can apply…

Peoria requires festival and carnival sponsors to register every vendor and pay a sliding-scale fee to the city treasurer before setting up on city parks or public grounds. Fees run…

A commercial parklet in Peoria converts a curbside parking space into outdoor restaurant seating, but only with an annual city permit. Section 26-293 limits parklets to…

A Peoria sidewalk café lets a restaurant serve food and drinks on the public sidewalk right outside its own building, but only under an annual permit that runs March 1 through December…

Any group of 20 or more people wanting to use a Peoria city park or public ground for an organized activity must get a permit from the comptroller first. The written application is due…

Peoria bars anyone from holding a parade on city right-of-way without a city manager-approved route. Fund-raising parades need one marshal for every half mile, non-fund-raising parades…

Peoria requires every property to be kept free of rodent harborage under its amended Property Maintenance Code. Stored wood, construction materials and other items must be elevated 12…

Peoria landlords must disclose to tenants if a rental property has been treated for a bed bug infestation within the past 12 months. The duty is written into the same disclosure list…

Peoria allows hypodermic syringe and needle exchange under state law only inside a building outside residentially zoned districts, bans it outright on streets, sidewalks…

Peoria makes it unlawful to keep or maintain any building in an unsafe or dangerous condition under Article IX of the city code. Structures with collapsing walls, fire damage, faulty…

Peoria publishes a springtime newspaper notice warning vacant-lot owners that weeds over ten inches, litter, or motor vehicle parts are unlawful, and Sec. 13-4 lets the city cut…

Peoria requires commercial property owners, plus schools, hospitals and churches, to clear snow from the abutting public sidewalk within 24 hours of a snowfall under six inches, or 36…

Every new electrical installation and every repair or replacement of an existing electrical system in Peoria needs a permit before work starts. City Code Sec. 5-156 lets a bona fide…

Peoria requires every registered rental dwelling to be self-inspected by the landlord and tenant before move-in and at least once a year, plus systematic city inspections under City…

Peoria requires every child care home to fully fence its outdoor play area and routes approval through the Zoning Administrator rather than City Council. Section 5.3.2.A of the Unified…

Peoria adopts the current State of Illinois Plumbing Code for all plumbing design and installation under Sec. 5-122's amendment to Chapter 29 of the International Building Code. Any…

Peoria requires a building permit before anyone constructs, enlarges, alters or demolishes a structure, changes an occupancy needing greater strength or exit capacity, or installs…

Peoria's health officer can inspect any dwelling for lead-bearing paint and order removal or covering of hazardous surfaces under Chapter 15, Article II of the City Code. Owners get…

Peoria doesn't require automatic fire sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes or townhouses. When the city adopted the 2018 International Residential Code amendments in Sec. 5-124…

Peoria tenants can complain directly to the city about a building, housing or health code violation, or an illegal landlord practice, and the city must investigate, including a rental…

Peoria requires every registered dwelling to be inspected by the landlord and tenant before move-in and at least once a year, using a city-provided form covering smoke detectors…

Anyone who wants to occupy a Peoria street, alley or sidewalk for construction, storage or a dumpster needs a right-of-way occupancy permit from the director of public works, backed by…

Peoria requires every street, alley and sidewalk to stay clear of encumbrances, and the director of public works can order an owner to remove any building, fence, porch or steps…

Peoria puts sidewalk repair on the abutting property owner, but shares the cost. Once the director of public works flags a sidewalk as needing repair, the owner has 30 days to fix it…

Every massage or bodywork business in Peoria needs a bodywork establishment license from the city manager's office before it can open, per Code Sec. 18-232. Fees run $250 a year when…

Peoria licenses every secondhand dealer, a category that by definition includes pawnbrokers, swap shops, and coin and jewelry buyers, through the city comptroller under Code Sec…

Peoria requires a Class 1 or Class 2 tobacco retail license before selling any tobacco or 'alternative nicotine product,' a term Code Sec. 18-590 expressly defines to include…

Any company that wants police-dispatched non-consent tows in Peoria must first win a spot on the Police Department's rotation tow list, then follow a detailed fee cap, response-time…

Peoria requires a comptroller-issued license before any sexually oriented adult use opens, and Code Sec. 18-53 keeps every one at least 500 feet from another adult use, 750 feet from…

Peoria's zoning code bars auto and engine repair businesses from operating out of a home entirely: Unified Development Code Section 5.4.7(B)(3)(b) prohibits "auto and engine related…

Anyone going door-to-door in Peoria to sell goods or take orders needs a peddler's license from the city comptroller, per Code Sec. 18-376. The license costs $60 a year, applicants…

Peoria residents and homeowner associations can block door-to-door peddling outright. Posting a weatherproof 'No Peddlers Allowed' card at the entrance bars a peddler from that address…

Anyone operating a mobile food vehicle from Peoria's public right-of-way needs a comptroller-issued license under City Code § 18-654. Applicants post a $1,000 bond, carry at least…

Peoria requires a pushcart stand or sidewalk station license before selling food or merchandise from a fixed spot on a public sidewalk or street, per Code Sec. 18-516. Vendors may only…

Outside downtown, every mobile food vending spot in Peoria needs director of public works sign-off, and City Code § 18-655 keeps trucks at least 300 feet from a licensed restaurant…

Peoria caps garage sales at three consecutive days per sale and nine total days in any 12-month period, per City Code § 20-93. The rule covers any owner or occupant of residential…

Peoria requires residents to set garbage carts at least three feet from the property line, never in the front yard or on a porch, and only after 3:00 p.m. the day before pickup, under…

Dumping litter anywhere in Peoria except a public landfill is a straight violation of City Code Section 13-41, carrying a fine between $200.00 and $5,000.00. Anyone who hires another…

Only recycling contractors approved by Peoria's director of public works may collect recyclables set out for pickup. City Code Sections 13-11 and 13-12 make it unlawful for anyone else…

Taking recyclables someone else set out for collection is unlawful in Peoria unless you are the city-authorized recycling contractor. Sec. 13-11 bars anyone from collecting paper…

Anyone who places a dumpster or portable storage unit in a Peoria public right-of-way, or who contracts to do so, needs a city contractor's license first under Section 26-266. The…

Single-family homes, attached residences and two-to-four family buildings in Peoria must use curbside and alley pickup from Peoria Disposal Company, the city's exclusive contracted…

Anyone running a curbside recycling program in Peoria needs written approval from the director of public works, a valid scavenger's license, and must file an annual report by January…

Anyone docking a boat along Peoria's Illinois River bank, seawall or marina slips needs a permit or docking ticket from the director of public works under City Code Section 14-7. Fees…

Any development in Peoria's Special Flood Hazard Area needs a development permit from the director of public works before work starts. City Code Ch. 12 sets the permit standard…

Peoria requires a separate erosion and sediment control permit for any land-disturbing construction, with control measures installed and functioning before grading begins. Sediment…

Peoria regulates stormwater through Chapter 9.5 of the city code, requiring permanent detention and volume control on new development and imposing fines up to $500 per day for permit…

Peoria requires buildings in the flood hazard area to sit at or above the flood protection elevation (FPE): base flood plus two feet, or plus just one-tenth of a foot in the Riverfront…

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program regulates Lake Michigan shoreline development, applying uniform permit requirements along the entire Illinois…

Peoria regulates its historic downtown core, the Warehouse District, West Main, Sheridan Triangle, and Prospect Road, through Form Districts in the Unified Development Code, not a…

Peoria outlaws operating any motorized scooter, a definition broad enough to cover dockless rental e-scooters, on a public street under City Code Sec. 28-510, so no scooter-share…

Peoria bans riding bicycles more than two abreast on any roadway except on a path or lane set aside for bicycles' exclusive use, and cyclists riding two abreast must still stay within…

Illinois runs two different regimes and the answer depends entirely on which vehicle you own. A golf cart is a non-highway vehicle under 625 ILCS 5/11-1426.1, and driving one on any…

Peoria's Shade Tree Ordinance sets exact spacing and clearance standards for any tree planted in the parkway, the strip between sidewalk and curb: 30 feet apart for small trees, 40…

Peoria's Unified Development Code permits data centers in only four zoning districts, the O-2 office district and the I-1, I-2, and I-3 industrial districts, and even there the use is…

Data centers in Peoria cannot exceed the noise levels set for industrial districts, and operators must prove it. Section 5.3.4.B of the Unified Development Code bans cargo-container…

Peoria's zoning code folds cryptocurrency mining into its Data Center use category, and a data center is only allowed as a discretionary Special Use in the N1 Institutional and I-1…

Solar energy devices are a permitted residential accessory structure in Peoria under Unified Development Code Section 5.4.2(B), allowed by right alongside swimming pools and gazebos…

Illinois' Homeowners' Energy Policy Statement Act bars any homeowners', common-interest, or condominium association in Peoria County from adopting a bylaw, deed restriction, or…

Peoria's Unified Development Code requires house-side shields on any outdoor light fixture next to residential-zoned land to stop glare, spill or trespass, and it caps parking-lot…

Peoria requires every outdoor light fixture on a development site to point straight down and sit mounted horizontal to the ground, using full cutoff fixtures that meet Illuminating…

Electronic billboards and message signs in Peoria must dim automatically after dark: light sensors or a timer are required to cut brightness at dusk, capping the sign at 500 nits at…

Peoria's landscape ordinance names twelve invasive woody plants, from buckthorn to kudzu, that earn no credit toward a project's landscaping requirements and must be pulled from any…

Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) tops Peoria's list of invasive species excluded from the city's protected stream buffers. Section 8.6.11 flags it as exceptionally invasive and…

Peoria treats political signs as 'Temporary Non-Commercial' signs under its Unified Development Code. In residential districts they can be displayed indefinitely with unlimited…

Garage sale signs count as Temporary Commercial Signs under Peoria's Unified Development Code, and § 8.3.11.A confines them to the property where the sale is happening: they can't…

Window signs in Peoria's commercial, office, industrial and Central Business districts are capped at 20 percent coverage on windows of 8 square feet or larger, and 50 percent on…

Electronic message signs and digital billboards in Peoria must hold each static image for at least ten seconds with instant transitions; scrolling or fading transitions are barred on…

Peoria's Unified Development Code treats an 'Urban Farm' as a distinct land use requiring zoning approval, via the special use process in residential districts and Development Review…

The Farm Nuisance Suit Act shields established Illinois farms from nuisance lawsuits when the operation predates surrounding non-agricultural land uses by at least one year.

Illinois preempts local drone regulation for cities under 1,000,000 population, so Peoria cannot enact a citywide drone ordinance. Recreational pilots must pass the FAA's Recreational…

Every owner of an occupied or vacant dwelling in Peoria must file an annual registration statement with the city under Article XIII of the code, unless exempted. Registration lists the…

Peoria tenants harmed by a code violation can force the landlord's hand: once the code official has inspected and issued a notice of violation, Sec. 5-289 lets the affected tenant…

Rent control is illegal everywhere in Peoria County. The Illinois Rent Control Preemption Act (50 ILCS 825) bars every unit of local government, the county, home-rule Peoria…

Illinois requires a 5-day written notice for nonpayment of rent (735 ILCS 5/9-209), a 10-day notice to quit for lease violations (735 ILCS 5/9-210), and a 30-day termination notice for…

Under 735 ILCS 5/9-207, ending a month-to-month or other tenancy under one year requires 30 days' written notice; a week-to-week tenancy requires 7 days. The statute lets the landlord…

Illinois has no statewide statute setting a maximum rent increase or a dedicated advance-notice period for raising rent, and the Rent Control Preemption Act (50 ILCS 825) bars local…

Illinois sets no statewide cap on residential security deposits. Under the Security Deposit Return Act, 765 ILCS 710, a landlord of a building with 5 or more units who keeps any of a…

Adverse possession in Illinois generally requires 20 years of possession (735 ILCS 5/13-101). The period drops to 7 years when the occupant holds under claim and color of title 'made…

Filming a multi-day production on Peoria parks or public grounds requires a permit, a $2 million liability certificate naming the city as additional insured, and a $25,000 bond. The…

Peoria lets student filmmakers shoot on city parks and public grounds under a reduced burden: the city may waive or cut the insurance and bond that other filming permits require, as…

Peoria taxes every hotel and motel room rental at 7 percent of the rental charge under Section 27-147(a), plus an extra 1 percent earmarked for the tourism and event development fund…

City Code § 18-670 bars selling cannabis, cannabis concentrate, or cannabis-infused product within 500 feet of a school, licensed child care facility, or house of worship, measured…

Peoria has not opted out of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, but a Medical/Adult Use Cannabis Dispensary can open only as a special use under Unified Development Code § 5.3.3.O…

Recreational home growing is illegal in Illinois. Adults 21 and older may possess up to 30 grams, but only registered medical patients may cultivate, capped at five plants. A…

Peoria's Unified Development Code fixes minimum front, side and rear yards for every residential zoning district in the Section 4.2.4 Building Envelope Standards table. Front yards run…

Peoria's Unified Development Code caps principal residential structures at 35 feet in the A1, RE, and R1 through R5 districts, rising to 45 feet in R6 and R7 and 75 feet in the…

In Peoria County's R-1 Low Density Residential District, structures may occupy no more than 30 percent of a lot's area. Agricultural uses, telecommunications carrier facilities, and…

Peoria's Historic Preservation Commission can designate any property that reflects the community's historical, cultural, artistic, social or ethnic heritage as a local landmark or…

Peoria's curfew, City Code § 20-71, bars anyone under 13 from public places between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. every night, and bars 13-to-16-year-olds between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday through…

The Paid Leave for All Workers Act guarantees up to 40 hours of paid leave annually for nearly every Illinois employee, with limited carve-outs for jurisdictions with existing…

Illinois issues shall-issue concealed carry licenses through the Illinois State Police under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, with statewide preemption of local handgun carry rules.

Illinois preempts most local firearm regulation under the FOID Card Act and Wildlife Code, leaving home rule cities limited authority over assault weapons and certain narrow areas.

Illinois bans open carry of firearms in public under the Criminal Code, allowing concealed carry only by Firearm Concealed Carry Act licensees with limited exceptions.

Illinois law sets uniform rules for transporting firearms in vehicles under the FOID Card Act and Firearm Concealed Carry Act, preempting local handgun transport ordinances.

Illinois doesn't let cities zone in casinos on their own: the Illinois Gambling Act (230 ILCS 10/7) hands out a fixed number of state owners licenses, each tied by statute to one named…

Illinois nonprofits need a Department of Revenue license before running charitable games, capped at 4 days a year, with single bets at house-banked games limited to $20 and cash…

Illinois law makes it a crime to play any game of chance or skill for money unless the activity fits one of fifteen narrow exemptions listed in 720 ILCS 5/28-1(b): the state lottery…

Illinois legalized sports betting under the Sports Wagering Act, but only through an operator holding a Board-issued master sports wagering license. The Illinois Gaming Board licenses…

The Common Interest Community Association Act (765 ILCS 160) governs Illinois HOA budgets and assessments but, unlike the Condominium Property Act, it creates no statutory assessment…

Illinois gives association members open meetings and a records right, but the deadlines and the cost rules differ depending on which Act governs your association. A condominium owner…

Illinois HOAs enforce their declaration, bylaws, and rules under the Common Interest Community Association Act. Rule violations are pursued through the 765 ILCS 160/1-30(g) fine power…

Illinois protects native plantings, not xeriscape and not artificial turf. The Homeowners' Native Landscaping Act, 765 ILCS 167, effective July 19, 2024, bars an association from…

Since January 1, 2024 the Illinois Electric Vehicle Charging Act has voided any covenant, deed restriction or governing-document provision that prohibits or unreasonably restricts…

An Illinois association board may not prohibit a unit owner from displaying the American flag or a military flag on the owner's limited common elements or on the immediately adjacent…

Illinois puts no dollar limit on association fines. Both statutes say only that the board may levy reasonable fines, and neither sets a maximum, a daily cap or a cure period. What…

Unpaid assessments on an Illinois condominium unit become a statutory lien under 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1), and once the board of managers records notice of that lien it may foreclose it in…

Illinois runs the opposite way from states that protect owners who rent. There is no statutory cap on how much leasing an Illinois association may prohibit, no minimum lease term, no…

Illinois holds roadside safety checks, but the General Assembly never wrote a statute authorising or regulating them. The Illinois Vehicle Code mentions checkpoints exactly once, in a…

Illinois writes the right to film police directly into its eavesdropping statute. 720 ILCS 5/14-2(e) says nothing in the eavesdropping article prohibits any individual who is not a law…

Illinois gives officers a demand power without giving them a penalty to back it. Under 725 ILCS 5/107-14(a) a peace officer who has identified himself as such may stop a person in a…

Illinois has no statute that requires an officer to warn you that you may refuse a vehicle search, but it does require the officer to write the request down. 625 ILCS 5/11-212 makes…

Illinois prohibits sale of any tobacco, alternative nicotine, and electronic cigarette product to persons under 21 under the Prevention of Tobacco Use by Persons under 21 Act.

Illinois runs a closed list for vehicle lighting. Under 625 ILCS 5/12-212(c), all lighting on a vehicle other than what the Vehicle Code expressly authorises is prohibited, so the…

Illinois never lists permitted windshield zones for a dash cam the way Florida and Texas do. It applies a materiality test instead: 625 ILCS 5/12-503(c-5) prohibits driving with…

Lane splitting is not lawful in Illinois. The Vehicle Code never uses the phrase, but 625 ILCS 5/11-703(c) makes the maneuver itself unlawful: a two-wheeled vehicle passing on the left…

Illinois does not ask whether a plate cover obscures the plate. 625 ILCS 5/3-413(g) makes it unlawful to operate any motor vehicle equipped with a registration plate cover, full stop…

A radar detector is legal in an ordinary Illinois passenger car. The only detector ban in the Illinois Vehicle Code, 625 ILCS 5/12-714, reaches a driver who operates or is in actual…

Illinois gets lake-effect snow and still bans studded tires outright. Section 12-401 of the Illinois Vehicle Code forbids operating a vehicle on an improved highway if any road wheel…

Illinois bans tinted film on the front windshield except a nonreflective strip running no more than 6 inches down from the top, and bars any window treatment on the windows immediately…