Cook County's 7-cent checkout-bag tax (Ord. 16-O-49) took effect November 2017 but was repealed October 2017 effective December 2017 after Illinois Retail Merchants Association challenges. No countywide bag fee or ban applies in 2026.
Cook County passed the Disposable Bag Tax Ordinance 16-O-49 in November 2016 imposing a 7-cent fee on checkout bags at retailers. The ordinance took effect November 1, 2017, but the County Board repealed it in October 2017 after intense lobbying and concerns about the Illinois Retailer Occupation Tax preemption. No replacement countywide ordinance has passed. Chicago retains its own 7-cent checkout bag tax. Some Cook County suburbs (Evanston) maintain plastic bag restrictions. Illinois has no statewide bag ban; HB 4377 and similar measures have not advanced.
No current Cook County penalty. Chicago retailers within city limits face Department of Finance fines $200 to $500 per inspection for non-collection of the city bag tax.
See how Arlington Heights's plastic bag rules rules stack up against other locations.
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