Tazewell County, IL Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Basement vents
- must be screened against rodents (§96.08(Q))
- Foundations/walls
- must be rodent-proof (§96.08(R))
- Doors/windows/hatchways
- same standard (§96.08(S))
- Enforcing agency
- Director of Public Health
- Penalty
- up to $1,000 per day
- Severe cases
- condemnation under §96.13
Summary
County code requires every dwelling's foundation, walls, and basement openings to be rodent-proof, and basement windows or vents used for ventilation to carry screens or other devices that keep rodents out. The Director of Public Health enforces this under the Human Habitation chapter.
(Q) Every basement or cellar window used or intended to be used for ventilation, and every other opening to a basement which might provide an entry for rodents, shall be supplied with a screen or such other device as will effectively prevent their entrance. (R) Every foundation, floor, wall, ceiling, and roof shall be reasonably weather-tight, water-tight, rodent-proof, and termite-proof; shall be capable of affording privacy; and shall be kept in good repair.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-7: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. LU-21-12, passed 9-29-2021; and Res. LU-26-09, passed 7-29-2026).
Full Breakdown
08 of the Tazewell County Code of Ordinances, the county's Human Habitation chapter, sets rodent-exclusion standards for dwellings in the unincorporated county. Division (Q) requires every basement or cellar window used or intended for ventilation, and every other basement opening that could let rodents in, to carry a screen or other device that effectively blocks their entrance. Division (R) goes further, requiring every foundation, floor, wall, ceiling, and roof to be reasonably weather-tight, water-tight, rodent-proof, and termite-proof, and kept in good repair, while division (S) extends the same rodent-proofing and repair standard to every window, exterior door, and basement hatchway.
13 lets the Director of Public Health condemn and placard as unfit for habitation any dwelling so vermin-infested that it creates a serious health hazard, if repair costs would exceed the property's repaired value. 02, and reach the unincorporated area of the county rather than incorporated cities like Pekin, which enforce their own codes.
Violations & Fines
Failing to keep a dwelling's foundation, openings, or basement windows rodent-proof under § 96.08 is a petty offense under § 96.99, fined up to $1,000 per day the violation continues. A structure so vermin-infested that it endangers health can be condemned and placarded as unfit for habitation under § 96.13 and ordered vacated by the Director of Public Health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the county require basements to be sealed against rodents?
What rodent-proofing standard applies to a home's foundation?
Can the county condemn a home that's infested with rodents?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tazewell County
Compare Tazewell County to another location·View the Illinois public health rules overview
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