Will County, IL Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issued by
- Will County Engineer / WCDOT
- Advance notice required
- At least 30 days
- Who may apply
- Agencies, municipalities, persons, businesses
- Applies to
- County highways, not municipal streets
- Before issuance
- Proof of insurance required
Summary
Will County requires a special event permit from the County Engineer to temporarily close any county highway for parades, festivals, block parties, or filming, with 30 days' advance notice.
A special event permit is required for any activity on county highway right-of-way which impacts or has the potential to impact the traveling public. Municipal corporations, governmental agencies, or a person or business may apply for a special event permit. Contact with the WCDOT shall be made by the applicant in the early stage of the event's planning process, a minimum of 30 days prior to the planned event.
(B) Temporary closure of a county highway classified as a designated freeway, principal arterial, or arterial, may require additional conditions of approval including, but not limited to, significant coordination with local and regional emergency service agencies, preparation of a detour plan, notification of media outlets, placement of changeable message signs on the route prior to the closure, etc.
(C) Route alternatives may have to be considered by the applicant should a portion of the county highway intended for an event be under construction at the time of the event.
(D) Procedure and requirements for special event permit application are outlined in the Technical Reference Manual. (Ord. 20-231, passed 7-16-2020)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance No. 24-100, passed 4-18-2024 and Res. 23-387, passed 11-16-2023; and State legislation approved through 2024 Pamphlet #2).
Full Breakdown
Under Will County Code § 56.120 and § 56.121, the County Engineer may issue a special event permit to temporarily close a county highway for parades, marathons, festivals, block parties, or filming. Municipal corporations, governmental agencies, persons, or businesses may apply, and WCDOT must be contacted at least 30 days before the event. Permittees must supply proof of insurance, arrange traffic control and signage, and may need police or sheriff presence. This applies only to roads on the county highway system: local residential streets inside Joliet, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Plainfield, and Lockport fall under those cities' own permits.
Violations & Fines
Closing a county highway without a special event permit, or violating permit conditions on traffic control, detours, or insurance, lets WCDOT revoke the permit and require immediate cessation and removal of the closure under § 56.125.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Will County have a specific block party permit?
How far ahead must I apply?
Does this cover streets inside Joliet or Bolingbrook?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Will County
Compare Will County to another location·View the Illinois special events & permits overview
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