Will County, IL Special Events & Permits: Commercial Filming on Public Right-of-Way (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Will County Code § 56.120
- Lead time required
- 30 days before event
- Filming named as example
- movie, TV, commercial, documentary
- Applies to
- county highways only, not city streets
Summary
Filming on a Will County highway that closes or impacts traffic is regulated as a special event, not a separate film permit, under WCDOT rules.
The County Engineer, in accordance with ILCS Ch. 605, Act 5, § 5-414 et seq. as amended, may issue a permit to temporarily close any portion of a county highway for any public purpose. Temporary closure of a highway for purpose of special events of public interest and filming shall be authorized by issuance of a special event permit.
(B) Temporary closures for emergency repairs, natural disasters, or other emergency conditions are exempt from these requirements. COMMENTARY: Examples of special events can include, but are not limited to, parades, marathons, festivals, other special events of public interest and filming for a movie, television, commercial, or documentary. (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
Will County does not issue a standalone film permit. Under County Code § 56.120, the County Engineer may issue a special event permit to temporarily close any Will County highway, and the section expressly folds filming for a movie, television show, commercial, or documentary into the same special-event permit category as parades and marathons. Applicants must contact the Will County Department of Transportation at least 30 days before the planned closure (§ 56.121), and closures on a designated freeway, principal arterial, or arterial road can trigger extra conditions like detour plans and media notification. This applies only to county highways, not the internal streets of Joliet, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Plainfield, or Lockport, which run their own permitting.
Violations & Fines
Closing or obstructing a county highway lane for a shoot without a WCDOT special event permit is an unpermitted right-of-way closure; WCDOT can deny or pull the permit and require police or sheriff presence at the permittee's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Will County have a separate film permit?
How far ahead must a film shoot on a county road apply?
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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