Illinois Disorderly Conduct and Criminal Trespass Laws (2026)

Illinois makes disorderly conduct a crime under 720 ILCS 5/26-1, and its classic public-disturbance form, knowingly acting in an unreasonable manner that alarms or disturbs another and provokes a breach of the peace, is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days and a fine of up to $1,500. Most of section 26-1 covers false alarms, false reports and threats against a school, and those forms run up to a Class 3 felony.

Criminal trespass to real property (section 21-3) is a Class B misdemeanor in its ordinary forms. Trespass becomes a felony only in specific situations, such as entering a residence while knowing someone is inside (section 19-4) or entering a nuclear facility after notice (section 21-8). For other states, see our guide to disorderly conduct and trespass laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-18. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Illinois state criminal statutes on disorderly conduct and related public-order offenses (720 ILCS 5/Articles 25 and 26), criminal trespass (720 ILCS 5/19-4 and Article 21), railroad trespass in the Vehicle Code, and hunting on another's land under the Wildlife Code. It does not cover local noise ordinances and quiet hours (see Illinois noise laws), the civil eviction process for squatters (see Illinois squatters' rights), use of force against an intruder (see Illinois self-defense laws), city or county ordinances, civil trespass lawsuits, or rules for federal property.

What disorderly conduct means in Illinois

Section 26-1 opens: "A person commits disorderly conduct when he or she knowingly:" and then lists the forms of the offense. Every form requires that the person act knowingly. The general public-disturbance form is the first one:

"(1) Does any act in such unreasonable manner as to alarm or disturb another and to provoke a breach of the peace;" (720 ILCS 5/26-1(a)(1))

The rest of the section is narrower than its name suggests:

• False alarms, false reports and school threats, (a)(2) through (a)(10). These cover a false alarm of fire to a fire department, "knowing at the time of the transmission that there is no reasonable ground for believing that the fire exists" ((a)(2)); a false bomb, poison gas, biological, chemical or radioactive alarm ((a)(3)); transmitting "in any manner" a threat of destruction of a school building or school property, or of violence, death or bodily harm against persons at a school, school function or school event, "whether or not school is in session" ((a)(3.5)); a knowingly false report of an offense to a peace officer, public officer or public employee ((a)(4)); a false report to a public safety agency ((a)(5)); calling or texting 911 for the purpose of making a false alarm or complaint ((a)(6)); false reports to the Department of Children and Family Services ((a)(7)) or to the Department of Public Health under the nursing home and related care acts ((a)(8)); a false ambulance request ((a)(9)); and a false report under Article II of Public Act 83-1432 ((a)(10)).
• Peeping, (a)(11). Entering "upon the property of another and for a lewd or unlawful purpose deliberately looks into a dwelling on the property through any window or other opening in it."
• Collection calls, (a)(12). A collection agency, or its employee, making a telephone call to an alleged debtor "which is designed to harass, annoy or intimidate the alleged debtor."

Section 26-1 has no separate paragraph for noise, profanity or public drunkenness. For quiet hours and local noise rules, see Illinois noise ordinance laws.

Penalties under section 26-1

Section 26-1(b) grades each paragraph separately:

Two further rules apply to every conviction or to some forms:

• Community service. Section 26-1(c) requires the court to order a person convicted of disorderly conduct to perform "community service for not less than 30 and not more than 120 hours, if community service is available in the jurisdiction and is funded and approved by the county board of the county where the offense was committed," and makes community service a condition of any supervision for the offense. "This subsection does not apply when the court imposes a sentence of incarceration."
• Emergency response costs. Under section 26-1(e), a person convicted under (a)(3.5) or (a)(6) must also reimburse the public agency for the reasonable costs of the emergency response, up to $10,000, and under 26-1(d) a person convicted under (a)(3) of a school bomb-threat false alarm that requires an emergency response must reimburse the cost of that response. Neither applies if the court finds the person indigent.

The Class C sentencing section adds that "unless otherwise specified by law, the minimum fine is $75" (730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-65(e)).

How Illinois courts have read the breach-of-the-peace clause

• People v. Raby, 40 Ill. 2d 392 (1968). The Illinois Supreme Court rejected a facial vagueness and overbreadth challenge to the paragraph that is now (a)(1). It stressed that the conduct "must be engaged in 'knowingly' and 'in such unreasonable manner' as to provoke a breach of the peace," and said that under no circumstances would the statute "allow persons to be punished merely for peacefully expressing unpopular views." The case concerned the 1968 version of the statute, which carried a different penalty.
• People v. Davis, 82 Ill. 2d 534 (1980). The court held that a breach of the peace under (a)(1) need not happen in public view: "A breach of the peace may as easily occur between two persons fighting in a deserted alleyway as it can on a crowded public street." The case involved a threatening statement made inside a home, under the 1977 version of the paragraph, whose operative words match today's (a)(1).

Neither case addressed the false-report paragraphs of section 26-1.

Related public-order offenses in Illinois

• Disorderly conduct at a funeral or memorial service, section 26-6. With knowledge that a funeral site exists, a person commits this offense by: loud singing, music, chanting, whistling, yelling or noisemaking "within 300 feet of any ingress or egress of that funeral site, where the volume ... is likely to be audible at and disturbing to the funeral site"; displaying within that distance "any visual images that convey fighting words or actual or veiled threats against any other person"; or knowingly blocking another person's entry to or exit from the site, "except that the owner or occupant of property may take lawful actions to exclude others from that property." A "funeral site" includes a church, synagogue, mosque, funeral home, cemetery or similar place where a funeral is scheduled within the next 30 minutes or was held within the last 30 minutes. It is a Class C misdemeanor; "a second or subsequent violation is a Class 4 felony."
• Disorderly conduct with a laser, section 26-7. Intentionally or knowingly aiming an operating laser pointer at a person one knows or reasonably should know is a peace officer, or aiming and discharging a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft taking off, landing or in flight, is a Class A misdemeanor.
• Mob action, section 25-1. The "knowing or reckless use of force or violence disturbing the public peace by 2 or more persons acting together and without authority of law" is a Class 4 felony. A knowing assembly of two or more people to commit a felony or misdemeanor, or to do violence to someone supposed to have broken the law, is a Class C misdemeanor. A participant who by violence injures a person or property commits a Class 4 felony, and "a participant in a mob action who does not withdraw when commanded to do so by a peace officer commits a Class A misdemeanor." The same 30 to 120 hours of community service applies to mob action where a county program exists, unless the court imposes incarceration (25-1(b)(5)).
• Looting, section 25-4. Knowingly entering a home or business without authority, where normal security is absent because of "a hurricane, fire, or vis major of any kind or by virtue of a riot, mob, or other human agency," and taking control of property, is a Class 4 felony. The court must also impose at least 100 hours of community service and order restitution.
• Curfew, section 12C-60. A minor under 17 commits a curfew offense by remaining in a public place or on the premises of an establishment (a privately owned business open to the public) during curfew hours: 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on nights from Sunday through Thursday, and 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. A parent or guardian who knowingly permits it also commits the offense. The section lists defenses, including being with a parent or guardian, running an errand for a parent without detour, working, an emergency, a supervised school, religious or recreational activity, and exercising First Amendment rights. It is a petty offense with a fine of $10 to $500 (no fine for a ward of the court or that person's guardian), and local bodies may adopt ordinances that incorporate or increase its requirements (12C-60(f)).
• Residential picketing, section 21.1-2. Picketing before or about another person's residence or dwelling, except one used as a place of business, is a Class B misdemeanor (section 21.1-3). The article does not apply to peacefully picketing one's own home and does not prohibit peaceful picketing of a meeting place on premises commonly used to discuss subjects of general public interest.
• Interference with emergency communication, section 26-2. Knowingly and without lawful justification interfering with a citizens band radio communication about an emergency is a Class B misdemeanor, or a Class A misdemeanor where serious bodily injury or property loss over $1,000 results.

Articles 25 and 26 contain no separate unlawful assembly, failure to disperse or loitering offense; the closest provision is the mob action rule for a participant who does not withdraw when a peace officer commands it.

Public intoxication

Articles 25 and 26 of the Criminal Code contain no public intoxication offense. A separate statute limits local rules:

"No county, municipality or political subdivision may adopt or enforce any law that includes being intoxicated as the sole basis of the offense, nor interpret or apply any law to circumvent the provisions of this Section. However, nothing in this Section affects any law, ordinance, resolution or rule against driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, or any similar offense involving operation of a vehicle, aircraft, boat, machinery, or the use of firearms or other equipment." (20 ILCS 301/55-15)

Under 20 ILCS 301/25-15(b), a person who shows symptoms of alcohol or drug impairment in a public place may be taken to a withdrawal management facility; the police "shall take him or her into protective custody only, which shall not constitute an arrest." Conduct that is itself an offense, such as disorderly conduct under section 26-1(a)(1) or driving under the influence, is not covered by that rule.

Criminal trespass in Illinois

Illinois has no numbered degrees of trespass. Each offense has its own section and class: real property (21-3), residences (19-4), vehicles (21-2), and special places such as State-supported land, school zones, airports, nuclear facilities and places of public amusement.

Criminal trespass to real property: section 21-3

Section 21-3(a) lists the main forms. A person commits criminal trespass to real property when he or she:

• Building, (a)(1). "knowingly and without lawful authority enters or remains within or on a building."
• Land after notice, (a)(2). "enters upon the land of another, after receiving, prior to the entry, notice from the owner or occupant that the entry is forbidden."
• Staying after being told to leave, (a)(3). "remains upon the land of another, after receiving notice from the owner or occupant to depart."
• False documents or identity, (a)(3.5). "presents false documents or falsely represents his or her identity orally to the owner or occupant of a building or land in order to obtain permission from the owner or occupant to enter or remain in the building or on the land."
• Motor vehicle onto farm land, (a)(4). Entering a field used or capable of being used for crops, an enclosed area or agricultural building containing livestock, or an orchard "in or on a motor vehicle (including an off-road vehicle, motorcycle, moped, or any other powered two-wheel vehicle)" after notice that entry is forbidden, or remaining after notice to depart.

Subsection (a)(3.7) separately covers intentionally removing a notice posted on residential real estate under the foreclosure provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure before the date and time set in the notice. The sentencing subsection, (h), assigns classes to (a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(3.5) and (a)(4) and does not name (a)(3.7).

The building form has a built-in limit for stores and other public buildings:

"For purposes of item (1) of this subsection, this Section shall not apply to being in a building which is open to the public while the building is open to the public during its normal hours of operation; nor shall this Section apply to a person who enters a public building under the reasonable belief that the building is still open to the public."

Penalty. Under section 21-3(h), "a violation of subdivision (a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), or (a)(3.5) is a Class B misdemeanor," up to 6 months and a fine of up to $1,500. "A violation of subdivision (a)(4) is a Class A misdemeanor," less than 1 year and up to $2,500. A person who drives onto farm land in violation of (a)(4) may also be liable to the owner in a civil action for actual damages, with minimums of $50, or $250 in a nature preserve or registered area, and twice the actual damages if the owner had previously told the person to stop trespassing (section 21-3(i)).

What counts as notice, including purple paint

Section 21-3(b) defines notice:

"A person has received notice from the owner or occupant within the meaning of Subsection (a) if he or she has been notified personally, either orally or in writing including a valid court order as defined by subsection (7) of Section 112A-3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 granting remedy (2) of subsection (b) of Section 112A-14 of that Code, or if a printed or written notice forbidding such entry has been conspicuously posted or exhibited at the main entrance to the land or the forbidden part thereof."

Section 21-3(b-5) adds purple paint as an alternative. An owner or lessee "may post the property by placing identifying purple marks on trees or posts around the area to be posted." Each mark must be either:

1. "A vertical line of at least 8 inches in length and the bottom of the mark shall be no less than 3 feet nor more than 5 feet high. Such marks shall be placed no more than 100 feet apart and shall be readily visible to any person approaching the property"; or
2. "A post capped or otherwise marked on at least its top 2 inches. The bottom of the cap or mark shall be not less than 3 feet but not more than 5 feet 6 inches high. Posts so marked shall be placed not more than 36 feet apart and shall be readily visible to any person approaching the property."

Two limits follow. Subsection (b-10), which required an owner who paints to also post ordinary notice under (b), states that it "is inoperative on and after January 1, 2013," although (b-5) still opens with the words "subject to the provisions of subsection (b-10)." And under (b-15), the purple paint rules "do not apply to real property located in a municipality of over 2,000,000 inhabitants," and the purple paint subsections were added by Public Act 97-477 in 2011.

Exemptions in section 21-3

Section 21-3 lists several situations it does not reach, in the statute's words:

• The section "does not apply to any person, whether a migrant worker or otherwise, living on the land with permission of the owner," or to anyone living on the land "by occupancy, leasing or other agreement or arrangement with the owner or his or her agent," or to that person's invited visitors (21-3(c)).
• The false-documents form, (a)(3.5), does not apply to a peace officer or other government official entering in the performance of official duties (21-3(g)).
• A person who "beautifies unoccupied and abandoned residential and industrial properties located within any municipality" is exempt from prosecution (21-3(d)).
• "A mortgagee or agent of the mortgagee shall be exempt from prosecution for criminal trespass for entering, securing, or maintaining an abandoned residential property" (21-3(e-5)(1)).
• "This Section does not prohibit a person from entering a building or upon the land of another for emergency purposes" (21-3(f)).
• The section does not apply to an authorized process server or a special process server appointed by the circuit court while serving process (21-3(j)).

Criminal trespass to a residence: section 19-4

Section 19-4 has a misdemeanor form and a felony form:

• Class A misdemeanor, 19-4(a)(1). "Without authority, he or she knowingly enters or remains within any residence, including a house trailer that is the dwelling place of another." Less than 1 year and up to $2,500.
• Class 4 felony, 19-4(a)(2). Without authority, knowingly entering the residence of another while knowing or having reason to know "that one or more persons is present," or knowingly entering and then remaining after learning or having reason to know that someone is present. 1 to 3 years.

Burglary (section 19-1) is the next step up: it requires entering or remaining without authority in a building, vehicle or similar place "with intent to commit therein a felony or theft." Burglary in a building or housetrailer is a Class 2 felony, a Class 1 felony in a school, day care center, day care home, group day care home, part day child care facility or place of worship (the day care grade does not apply to one operated in a private residence used as a dwelling), and a Class 3 felony in a vehicle, watercraft, aircraft, railroad car or freight container when no damage is caused (section 19-1(b)).

Other special trespass offenses

• Vehicles, section 21-2. Knowingly and without authority entering any part of, or operating, a vehicle, aircraft, watercraft or snowmobile is a Class A misdemeanor.
• State-supported land, section 21-5. Entering land or a building supported by State funds (or federal funds administered through State agencies) after notice that entry is forbidden, or remaining after notice to depart, "and who thereby interferes with another person's lawful use or enjoyment of the building or land," is a Class A misdemeanor. Subsection (a-5) covers entering a public transit right of way (of a body under the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act, the Local Mass Transit District Act or the Regional Transportation Authority Act) after notice that entry is forbidden, or remaining after notice to depart, with intent "to compromise public safety by causing a delay in transit service lasting more than 15 minutes or destroying property"; it is a Class A misdemeanor for a first violation and a Class 4 felony for a second or later one. Subsection (b) covers getting onto or staying on State-supported land by false documents or a false identity, where the person thereby interferes with another person's lawful use.
• Safe school zones, section 21-5.5. Entering or remaining in a safe school zone without lawful business after being served, in person or by registered or certified mail, notice that one's presence "has been withdrawn by the school administrator," where the person's presence or acts interfere with, or there is reasonable suspicion the person will disrupt, the orderly operation or safety of the school, is a Class A misdemeanor. That clause "has no application to conduct protected by the First Amendment" or by labor-relations law. The section also covers a student or employee suspended, expelled or dismissed for disrupting the school who, as a condition, was denied access and served written notice (21-5.5(b)(1)). A safe school zone is school property and the immediately adjacent streets, sidewalks and public ways, during regular school hours and within 60 minutes before or after the school day or a school-sponsored activity.
• Airport restricted areas, section 21-7. Entering or remaining in an airport restricted area or restricted landing area after notice from the airport authority that entry is forbidden is a Class 4 felony, and so is entering such an area "as prohibited in paragraph (1)" while impersonating an airman or an airline, airport or contractor employee ((a)(3)); getting in by false documents or a false identity is a Class A misdemeanor. Notice means personal notice or a notice posted at every usable entrance. Entering or remaining there "while in possession of a weapon, replica of a weapon, or ammunition, after the person has received notice from the airport authority that the entry is forbidden" is aggravated criminal trespass, a Class 3 felony (2 to 5 years).
• Public schools and universities, Article 21.2. On the campus or in a facility of a public institution of education, without the institution's authority and through force or violence, actual or threatened, knowingly denying others freedom of movement, use of the facilities or entry and exit, disrupting institutional duties or educational activities, or occupying or remaining in a building or facility "after due notice to depart" is a Class C misdemeanor (Class B for a second or later offense). If accompanied by a threat of personal injury or property damage it is a Class 3 felony, which section 21.2-4 says may carry 2 to 10 years.
• Nuclear facilities, section 21-8. Knowingly and without lawful authority entering or remaining in a nuclear facility or on its grounds after notice, remaining after being told to depart, or getting in with false documents or a false identity, is a Class 4 felony.
• Places of public amusement, section 21-9. Knowingly and without lawful authority entering or remaining on a restricted portion of a place of public amusement, such as "a playing field, an athletic surface, a stage, a locker room, or a dressing room," after notice that the public is restricted from it, is a Class 4 felony, and the court "shall also impose a fine of not less than $1,000."
• Railroads, 625 ILCS 5/18c-7503. Walking, riding, driving or being on a rail carrier's right of way or rail yard other than at a public crossing, entering railroad property, or riding on the outside of a train without authority, is a Class C misdemeanor for a first offense, with "a mandatory fine of not less than $150 or more than $500, or to imprisonment for not less than 5 days nor more than 30 days, or both." Each later offense is a Class A misdemeanor.

Hunting on someone else's land

The Wildlife Code makes it unlawful to take or attempt to take wildlife, let a dog hunt, or knowingly shoot a gun or bow at wildlife on or over the land of another "without first obtaining permission from the owner or the owner's designee" (520 ILCS 5/2.33(t)). A designee must hold a written authorization with the property description, the scope of the authority and "the owner's notarized signature." The subsection adds: "Before enforcing this Section, the law enforcement officer must have received notice from the owner or the owner's designee of a violation of this Section." A violation is a Class B misdemeanor under section 3.5(c). Section 2.33(t) is a permission rule; it sets no sign or paint standard.

The Criminal Code's hunter or fisherman interference offense (720 ILCS 5/48-3) includes entering or remaining on private land without the owner's permission "with the intent to violate this subsection." A first violation of the entry form is a Class B misdemeanor; a second within 2 years is a Class A misdemeanor "for which imprisonment for not less than 7 days shall be imposed," and any conviction under the section requires revocation of Illinois hunting, fishing or trapping privileges for 1 to 5 years. The section "does not apply to landowners, tenants, or lease holders exercising their legal rights to the enjoyment of land, including, but not limited to, farming and restricting trespass," and it is an affirmative defense that the conduct is protected free speech.

Squatting and removing a trespasser

The trespass and disorderly conduct articles of the Criminal Code contain no offense written specifically for squatting and no forcible-entry crime. Occupants are measured against sections 21-3 and 19-4, including 21-3(a)(3.5) for false documents or a false identity used to get permission to enter or remain.

Public Act 104-0029 (SB 1563), effective January 1, 2026, amended the civil eviction statute, 735 ILCS 5/9-102, so that subsection (e) now reads: "Nothing in this Article may be construed to prohibit law enforcement officials from enforcing the offense of criminal trespass under Section 21-3 of the Criminal Code of 1963 or any other violation of the Code or to interfere with the ability of law enforcement officials to remove persons or property from the premises when there is a criminal trespass." It did not amend section 21-3. For the civil process of removing an unauthorized occupant, see Illinois squatters' rights; for when force may be used to protect property, see Illinois self-defense laws.

Illinois disorderly conduct and trespass penalties at a glance

The ranges come from the Unified Code of Corrections: Class C misdemeanor, up to 30 days and $1,500 (730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-65); Class B misdemeanor, up to 6 months and $1,500 (5-4.5-60); Class A misdemeanor, less than 1 year and $2,500 (5-4.5-55); Class 4 felony, 1 to 3 years, or 3 to 6 on an extended term (5-4.5-45); Class 3 felony, 2 to 5 years, or 5 to 10 on an extended term (5-4.5-40). Felony fines go up to $25,000 "or the amount specified in the offense, whichever is greater" (5-4.5-50(b)). For the full class table, see Illinois felony and misdemeanor classes.

Recent changes to these statutes

• Public Act 104-0029 (SB 1563), approved July 21, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, amended the civil eviction statute, 735 ILCS 5/9-102(e), to state that it does not prevent police from enforcing criminal trespass under section 21-3 or removing people from premises where there is a criminal trespass. It did not change any criminal offense.
• Public Act 103-366 amended section 26-1, in force for that section since January 1, 2024, including the 911 false-alarm paragraph (a)(6) and the reimbursement rule in subsection (e) for (a)(3.5) and (a)(6) convictions.
• Public Act 104-627, effective January 1, 2027, amends section 2.33 of the Wildlife Code. This page describes subsection (t) as it reads before that date.

Federal law separately governs conduct on federal property and at the U.S. Capitol; see our disorderly conduct and trespass laws by state guide.

Related Illinois and state-by-state guides

• Disorderly conduct and trespass laws by state
• Illinois noise ordinance laws
• Illinois felony and misdemeanor classes
• Illinois squatters' rights
• Illinois self-defense laws
• Illinois expungement laws
• How to charge someone with trespassing

This article provides general legal information about Illinois disorderly conduct, public-order and criminal trespass statutes as of 2026-10-18. It is not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Illinois.

Last updated: 2026-10-18.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is disorderly conduct in Illinois?

Under 720 ILCS 5/26-1, a person commits disorderly conduct by knowingly doing any of a list of acts. The general one, (a)(1), is doing any act in such an unreasonable manner as to alarm or disturb another and to provoke a breach of the peace. Most of the other paragraphs cover false alarms, false reports and threats against a school.

Is disorderly conduct a misdemeanor in Illinois?

The general form under section 26-1(a)(1) is a Class C misdemeanor, up to 30 days and a fine of up to $1,500. Other forms range from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class 3 felony; false fire alarms and false 911 calls are Class 4 felonies.

Can you get disorderly conduct for yelling or swearing in Illinois?

Section 26-1(a)(1) has no clause aimed at words as such; it requires knowingly acting in an unreasonable manner that alarms or disturbs another and provokes a breach of the peace. In People v. Raby (1968), the Illinois Supreme Court upheld that language and said the statute would not allow persons to be punished merely for peacefully expressing unpopular views.

Does disorderly conduct have to happen in public in Illinois?

No. In People v. Davis (1980), the Illinois Supreme Court held that the act need not be performed in public view, because a breach of the peace may as easily occur between two persons in a deserted alleyway as on a crowded public street. That case involved a threat made inside a home.

Is public intoxication illegal in Illinois?

Articles 25 and 26 of the Criminal Code contain no public intoxication offense, and 20 ILCS 301/55-15 bars counties and cities from making intoxication the sole basis of an offense. Police may take an impaired person in a public place into protective custody, which is not an arrest (20 ILCS 301/25-15(b)). Other offenses, such as disorderly conduct or DUI, still apply.

Is trespassing a felony in Illinois?

Ordinary trespass to land or a building under section 21-3 is a Class B misdemeanor. Felony forms include entering a residence while knowing or having reason to know someone is present (section 19-4, Class 4), trespass to a nuclear facility (21-8) or a restricted area of a place of public amusement (21-9), certain airport restricted-area entries (21-7), interference with a public school or university accompanied by a threat of injury or damage (21.2-4, Class 3), and a second transit right-of-way trespass committed with intent to delay service more than 15 minutes or destroy property (21-5).

Does Illinois have a purple paint law?

Yes. Section 21-3(b-5) lets an owner or lessee post property with purple marks: vertical lines at least 8 inches long with the bottom 3 to 5 feet high, no more than 100 feet apart, or posts capped or marked on the top 2 inches, no more than 36 feet apart. It does not apply in a municipality of over 2,000,000 people.

What counts as no-trespassing notice in Illinois?

Under section 21-3(b), a person has notice if notified personally, orally or in writing (including certain court orders), or if a printed or written notice forbidding entry is conspicuously posted or exhibited at the main entrance to the land or the forbidden part of it. Qualifying purple paint marks are an alternative to posting.

What happens if a store or owner tells you to leave in Illinois?

Section 21-3(a)(3) makes it criminal trespass to remain on the land of another after receiving notice from the owner or occupant to depart, a Class B misdemeanor. For buildings, section 21-3(a)(1) does not apply to being in a building open to the public during its normal hours of operation.

Is squatting a crime in Illinois?

The trespass and disorderly conduct articles of the Criminal Code contain no squatting-specific offense; occupants are measured against criminal trespass to real property (21-3) and to a residence (19-4). A 2025 law, Public Act 104-0029, amended the civil eviction statute to say it does not stop police from enforcing criminal trespass under section 21-3.