Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Illinois (2026)

Arlington Heights, Illinois places the burden of parkway upkeep on the abutting property owner: Section 20-115 requires…

Aurora, Illinois requires the owner or occupant of an abutting lot to repair a sidewalk once the city engineer gives…

Champaign doesn't impose a standing duty to fix a cracked sidewalk, but Section 30-455 conditions any building permit…

Abutting property owners must relay out-of-grade sidewalks and can be billed if the city has to do the work itself.

Cicero puts the duty to fix a broken sidewalk on the abutting property owner or occupant, not the town. Once the…

While a DuPage County building permit is active, the permit holder, not the county, must keep the abutting street…

Elgin's code puts public sidewalks, streets, alleys and driveway approaches under a single repair standard: they must…

Evanston property owners and occupants must raise, lower, or repair the sidewalk in front of their lot once the…

Under City Code Sec. 26-38, the city engineer flags unsafe sidewalks and the city council can pass an assessment…

In Naperville, Illinois, in DuPage County, the owner of any lot abutting a public sidewalk must keep it clean, open…

Oak Lawn's code lets sidewalk pavement repair be done by either the Village or the abutting property owner, but every…

Peoria puts sidewalk repair on the abutting property owner, but shares the cost. Once the director of public works…

Skokie property owners must keep sidewalks, parkways, service walks, carriage walks and driveway aprons abutting their…

Springfield puts sidewalk upkeep on the abutting property owner: § 99.06 declares any sidewalk so worn or out of repair…

Tinley Park requires every public sidewalk to be kept in good repair, and lets either the village or the abutting…

In Waukegan, the sidewalk repair job falls on the property owner, not the city. Sec. 18-114 requires every owner whose…

The City of Rockford's Department of Public Works, not the abutting property owner, repairs damaged public sidewalks…

Blocking an Elgin street, alley or sidewalk with anything not specifically allowed by ordinance is unlawful unless the…

Joliet bans sitting or lying on a sidewalk, or leaving bedding and personal belongings on one, between 7:00 a.m. and…

McHenry County keeps every County Highway right-of-way legally clear: § 10.12.410 forbids any activity that obstructs…

Rockford prohibits obstructing or encroaching on any street, alley, or sidewalk without written permission from the…

Winnebago County bans placing any structure or object in a public roadway right-of-way, with daily fines for each day…

Arlington Heights Municipal Code Section 20-301 makes it unlawful to cause, create, or maintain any obstruction of a…

Aurora, Illinois bans letting tree branches, shrubs, or vines hang lower than ten feet over a public sidewalk or…

Bolingbrook bars anyone from causing, creating or maintaining an obstruction of a street, roadway, sidewalk or other…

Champaign Code Section 30-300 makes it unlawful to obstruct any street, alley or sidewalk right-of-way, or to build…

Chicago lets the city remove anything blocking a sidewalk or public way after just six hours' notice to the owner.

Cicero bars using any street, alley or sidewalk to store goods, wares, merchandise or signs, and limits delivery crews…

Placing materials, equipment, devices or structures in a Cook County-jurisdiction public way, including sidewalks…

DuPage County's building code bars contractors from blocking a public sidewalk during construction and makes it…

Evanston keeps public sidewalks and rights-of-way free of encumbrances, obstructions, and encroachments, with fines…

Naperville Municipal Code Section 9-1A-11 bars anyone from erecting a structure that encroaches on a public street…

Oak Lawn bars obstructing any street, alley, sidewalk or public way, and blocks using sidewalks to display or sell…

Oak Park's streets, avenues, alleys and sidewalks must stay free of encumbrances and encroachments at all times…

Peoria requires every street, alley and sidewalk to stay clear of encumbrances, and the director of public works can…

Schaumburg bans using any public street, parkway, sidewalk or right-of-way to store personal property, merchandise or…

Village of Skokie Code bars anyone from erecting or maintaining an obstruction in a street, sidewalk, alley or public…

Springfield bans leaving any obstruction or encumbrance on a street, alley, sidewalk, or parkway under City Code Sec…

St. Clair County bans erecting or keeping any building, fence, sign or other structure inside a road or project…

Tinley Park bars anyone from causing, creating, or maintaining an obstruction of a street, alley, sidewalk, or other…

Waukegan bans erecting or leaving any building, fence, porch, steps, gallery or other obstruction on a street, sidewalk…

Will County makes it a public nuisance to obstruct or encroach on public highways, streets, alleys, and rights-of-way…

Aurora, Illinois bars any private space or areaway under a public sidewalk unless the city council authorizes the city…

Champaign doesn't let a building or other permanent structure project into a City right-of-way on the strength of a…

Elgin bars anyone from building or maintaining a private structure that encroaches on public right-of-way or property…

Evanston requires a Public Works permit before anyone occupies the public right-of-way for construction, remodeling, or…

Placing anything private, a driveway culvert, a fence, a sign, in the right-of-way of a McHenry County Highway is…

Oak Lawn requires a permit from the village board before anyone builds a stairway or opening in a public street…

Village of Skokie Code presumptively prohibits any private use of a public way, naming fences, sculptures and…

Contractors, builders, or anyone who wants to obstruct a Springfield street, alley, or sidewalk for work must first get…

Anyone wanting to use a Tinley Park street, sidewalk, or public place to display goods or merchandise for sale needs a…

Any work on a utility, sidewalk, or facility placed within a Winnebago County highway right-of-way requires a permit…

Anyone who wants to store building materials, tools or equipment on an Arlington Heights street, parkway or sidewalk…

It is unlawful in Bolingbrook to obstruct any street, sidewalk or public way without either specific authorization in…

A public way use permit is required before building any canopy, awning, marquee, bay window, kiosk, or other fixture on…

The Town of Cicero requires a permit from the town clerk before anyone builds a vault, coal hole or other structure in…

Placing driveways, sidewalks, fences or other private structures in a Cook County right-of-way requires a Highway…

Anyone who wants to build a driveway, install a utility line, or otherwise occupy DuPage County highway right-of-way…

Placing a building, fence, signboard, building materials, stone pile or other obstruction on a Joliet sidewalk, street…

Kane County requires a permit before anyone alters, occupies or accesses the right-of-way along a county highway…

Private work in a Lake County highway right-of-way -- sidewalks, utilities, or fixed facilities -- needs a use permit…

Before installing, relocating, adding to or otherwise disrupting a facility, pipe, cable, pole or other utility…

Naperville bans private use of any street, sidewalk or public right-of-way unless the City, state or federal law…

No one may put building material or any other object into an Oak Park street, alley or public place without written…

Anyone who wants to occupy a Peoria street, alley or sidewalk for construction, storage or a dumpster needs a…

Anyone building a driveway, entrance or culvert crossing onto a county highway in unincorporated Peoria County needs an…

Rockford bars anyone from obstructing or encroaching on a street, alley, sidewalk, or other public place without the…

Waukegan requires a permit from the city council before anyone sets up a stand, rack, showcase or other structure for…

Any private work in a Will County highway right-of-way, utilities, landscaping, retaining walls, service connections…