Cook County, IL Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Fine
- $100.00 per offense
- Covers
- public way, outdoor public/private property
- Exception
- outdoor toilet structure or enclosure
- Citation
- Cook County Code § 58-43
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 13-O-11, 1-16-2013
Summary
Cook County Code § 58-43 fines anyone $100 for urinating or defecating on the public way, or on any outdoor public or private property, with no textual limit to unincorporated territory.
Any person who urinates or defecates on the public way, or on any outdoor public property, or on any outdoor private property, shall be fined $100.00. This ordinance shall not apply to use of a temporary or permanent structure or enclosure erected outdoors for use as a toilet facility.
Full Breakdown
Section 58-43, adopted by Ord. No. 13-O-11 on January 16, 2013, makes it a $100 fine to urinate or defecate on the public way, on any outdoor public property, or on any outdoor private property. The section carves out one exception: it does not apply to use of a temporary or permanent structure or enclosure erected outdoors for use as a toilet facility, covering things like construction-site portable toilets. Unlike neighboring sections in the same article (58-1, 58-41), Sec. 58-43 never invokes the Code's 'unincorporated Cook County' definition, so by the Code's default rule that 'County' means Cook County, Illinois, the offense reads as countywide rather than unincorporated-only.
Violations & Fines
Violators are fined $100.00 per offense under Sec. 58-43; the temporary/permanent outdoor-toilet-structure exception is a defense, not a permit requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply only in unincorporated Cook County?
Is there an exception for portable toilets or outhouses?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cook County
Compare Cook County to another location·View the Illinois public conduct overview
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