Kankakee County, IL Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Covers
- presence of rats, flies or other vermin
- Also covers
- conditions conducive to breeding vermin
- Enforcement
- county health authority, complaint or own initiative
- Penalty
- class B misdemeanor, each day separate offense
- Applies in
- unincorporated Kankakee County
Summary
Kankakee County treats the presence of rats or other vermin, and any condition that breeds flies, rats or vermin, as a health nuisance under County Code Section 22-24(1) and (2). The health department investigates complaints, can inspect the property, and orders the owner to correct the condition before pursuing a class B misdemeanor.
(1)The storage, collection, accumulation, discharge, or deposition of any offal, fecal matter, filth, refuse, weeds, vegetation, animal carcass, dead organic material, garbage, stagnant or polluted waters, combustible materials and similar materials in any place or on any property so as to threaten the health or safety of the individual or the public or to be conducive to the breeding of flies, rats, or other vermin, or to the prejudice of others.(2)The presence of rats, flies or other vermin.
Full Breakdown
County Code Section 22-24 opens its health-nuisance list with two provisions aimed squarely at vermin. " Together the two provisions let the county act either on a condition likely to breed vermin, such as accumulated garbage or stagnant water, or on the vermin itself once it is present, without having to prove which came first. Enforcement runs through the same nuisance procedure as the rest of Section 22-24: the health authority investigates on complaint or its own initiative under Section 22-25, may inspect the property under Section 22-26, and, when a violation is confirmed, serves notice under Section 22-27 requiring the owner, agent or occupant to abate the condition, whether that means clearing the attractant or addressing an active infestation, within a specified reasonable time.
Failure to comply lets the county abate the condition itself and lien the property for the cost, seek an injunction, or prosecute the owner for a class B misdemeanor under Section 22-28, with each day of the vermin condition a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Maintaining a property in a condition that breeds rats or other vermin, or allowing rats, flies or vermin to be present, is a class B misdemeanor under Section 22-28, with each day of the condition a separate offense. The health authority must first give notice under Section 22-27 and a specified reasonable time to correct the condition before pursuing the county's own abatement, a lien for its cost, or the misdemeanor charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the county cite me just for having rats, even without garbage piled up?
What counts as a condition that breeds vermin?
How does the county handle a rodent complaint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kankakee County
Compare Kankakee County to another location·View the Illinois public health rules overview
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