(Editor's note: This article was published first at Illinois Policy Institute)
Some Illinois communities set recommended hours for when to trick-or-treat, but others are much more extreme. Check your local laws so you’re not guilty of “Halloween Solicitation.”
Belleville has an age restriction: nobody older than 12 can trick-or-treat. Violators can face a fine of up to $1,000. On days other than Halloween, Belleville residents older than 12 need permission from the chief of police to wear a costume in public if it “conceals the identity.”
So, if you want to have a costume party on the weekend before Halloween, you better get permission – or lawyer up.
Forsyth, just outside Decatur, imposes a fine of up to $750 for approaching a house with no porch lights on for free candy. Chicago suburbs such as Orland Park, Palos Heights and Oakwood all have fines for trick-or-treating past curfew.
Oak Brook, Elmhurst, Western Springs and La Grange are among towns that set recommended hours for trick-or-treating, starting at 2 or 3 p.m. and ending no later than 8 p.m.
Downers Grove doesn’t set hours, but recommends no trick-or-treating when it’s dark outside. For those not giving out candy, many communities have printable signs to put in your yard informing trick-or-treaters which houses aren’t participating.
While these Halloween rules may be minor, they are part of an Illinois political culture that loves setting rules and regulations. Illinois’ regulatory code has over 279,000 individual restrictions and requirements, more than 44 other states and the most of any Midwestern state.
Kids should make sure they research their local ordinances before hitting the streets on Halloween. Allowing parents to set the rules is just too scary for some places.