Cook County has no countywide skateboarding ban. Forest Preserve District of Cook County rules under Ch. 90 prohibit skateboarding on most preserve roadways and trails. The Cook County Highway Department prohibits skating on county arterials. Suburban Cook municipalities each set their own downtown and sidewalk skateboarding rules.
Skateboarding in Cook County is governed by a patchwork. Forest Preserve District of Cook County General Ordinance prohibits skateboards on paved trails and roads outside designated areas, with citations issued by FPDCC police. The Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways treats skateboards as non-vehicles barred from county roadways under standard traffic rules. Suburban Cook municipalities like Oak Park, Evanston, Skokie, and Schaumburg each have skating ordinances regulating downtown commercial districts and sidewalks; many allow skateboarding as transportation but not on business-district sidewalks. Public skate parks operate in many villages including Oak Park Ridgeland Common and Skokie's Skate Park. Chicago Municipal Code 9-80-180 sets separate rules inside city limits.
Forest Preserve violations carry $75 to $500 fines under Ch. 90. Suburban municipal sidewalk skating tickets typically run $25 to $100. Skating on a county or state highway can trigger pedestrian citations under 625 ILCS 5/11-1007.
See how Arlington Heights's skateboarding rules rules stack up against other locations.
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