Lake County, IL Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Possession threshold
- 10 grams or less of cannabis
- Enforcement forum
- Administrative Adjudication or 19th Circuit Court
- Max fine
- $1,000 per violation (§ 10.99)
- Territorial scope
- Incorporated and unincorporated Lake County
- Ordinance history
- Adopted 2015, amended 2016
Summary
Lake County's nuisance ordinance still classifies possessing 10 grams or less of cannabis, or paraphernalia held with it, as a public nuisance countywide, enforceable through administrative adjudication or circuit court rather than as a criminal drug charge.
(G) Possession of cannabis. It is a public nuisance for a person to possess ten grams or less of a substance containing cannabis. (H) Possession of cannabis paraphernalia. It is a public nuisance for a person to possess any item of cannabis paraphernalia when the person also possesses ten grams or less of a substance containing cannabis.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 26-0618, passed 6-9-2026 | State legislation current through ILCS Pamphlet 2025 #5).
Full Breakdown
Lake County Code § 94.13(G)-(H) makes it a public nuisance to possess ten grams or less of cannabis, or any cannabis paraphernalia while holding that amount: a holdover from the ordinance's 2015-2016 passage, before Illinois fully legalized adult-use cannabis. Under § 94.02, the nuisance chapter reaches both incorporated and unincorporated Lake County, subject to the enforcing department's jurisdictional or contractual authority, so it can extend into municipalities that contract with the county for code enforcement. Violations go before a Hearing Officer under the county's Administrative Adjudication Ordinance or as an ordinance-violation citation in the 19th Judicial Circuit Court, rather than as a state drug charge.
Violations & Fines
No specific fine is listed for § 94.13, so it falls to the code's general penalty: up to $1,000 per violation, and each day a violation continues is a separate offense (§ 10.99).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is marijuana possession legal in Lake County, Illinois?
Does this rule reach Waukegan or Highland Park, not just unincorporated areas?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake County
Compare Lake County to another location·View the Illinois public conduct overview
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