Cook County, IL Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)

Cook County Code § 38-54(14), part of the Public Health and Private Nuisance Ordinance CCDPH enforces, declares it a public nuisance to dispose of needles, syringes, lancets, and other sharp health care items without first sealing them in a hard plastic or metal container fitted with a screw-on or other tightly secured lid. The nuisance ordinance's jurisdiction, set at Sec. 38-51, reaches only the unincorporated area of Cook County, so this exact rule doesn't bind Chicago or the county's 130-plus incorporated municipalities, which set their own sharps rules. CCDPH inspectors enforce it on inspection or complaint, and repeat violations escalate under Sec. 38-55's penalty schedule.