Illinois
Weird Laws in Illinois: Which Are Still on the Books?
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited October 21, 2026). · 2 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
We took five claims from popular weird-law lists about Illinois and checked them against the Illinois Compiled Statutes and, where a claim names a town, against that town's own code, as of October 21, 2026. Two hold up as state law, and they are more sensible than they sound. For other states, see our weird laws by state guide.
Weird laws in Illinois: the verdicts
Each claim below was checked against the Illinois code and, where it names a town, the local code. 5 claims checked.
The claim: Galesburg bans stunt/fancy riding on bikes.
What the law says: Galesburg's Traffic Code (Chapter 73, Bicycles) says no bicycle rider shall remove both hands from the handlebars or feet from the pedals, or practice any acrobatic or fancy riding on any street. It is a city ordinance, not a state statute.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Culinary students under 21 may sip and spit alcohol.
What the law says: Illinois exempts students 18-20 in an accredited college culinary arts, fermentation science, food service or restaurant management program from the underage possession ban when they taste, but do not imbibe, alcohol under an instructor's supervision, up to 6 times per class. 'Sip and spit' is roughly right but the real rule is narrower (tasting only, on campus, instructor-held, 18+).
“is participating in a culinary arts, fermentation science, food service, or restaurant management degree program ... tastes, but does not imbibe, alcoholic liquor for instructional purposes up to, but not exceeding, 6 times per class”
Penalty: Underage consumption/possession otherwise a Class A misdemeanor (6-20(f)); (h) is an exemption.
Last cited by a court: People v. Smith (2025)
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Chicago bans fishing in pajamas.
What the law says: No Chicago rule about fishing in pajamas was found in the Chicago Park District Code's use-of-parks chapter (ch. VII, sections B.1 to B.19) or in the Municipal Code chapters previously read (8-4, 10-36) as of 2026-10-21. Neither mentions fishing attire or sleepwear; the Park District chapter's only fish reference is the ban on harming animals including fish (B.11).
No state law found in the Illinois code as of October 21, 2026.
How we searched
We read the Chicago Park District's use-of-parks rules and the section titles of two Chicago Municipal Code chapters, and searched the Illinois statutes and listed the sections of the Fish and Aquatic Life Code for any rule on fishing clothing or sleepwear.
Parts of the code read
- Chicago Park District Code Chapter VII (use of parks)
- Chicago Municipal Code Title 8, Chapter 8-4 (offenses affecting public peace and welfare): section titles
- Chicago Municipal Code Chapter 10-36 (parks, playgrounds and airports): section titles
- Illinois Fish and Aquatic Life Code (515 ILCS 5): section titles
The local code named in the claim was checked too.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Joliet: mispronouncing the city name is a misdemeanor.
What the law says: Joliet's code declares the official pronunciation of the city name (Jo-li-et, long o) and says other pronunciations are 'to be discouraged'. It creates no offense and no penalty, so mispronouncing the name is not a misdemeanor.
Joliet, Illinois: Joliet Code of Ordinances Sec. 2-8, Pronunciation of name of city (in force)
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: It is illegal to nap in a cheese factory.
What the law says: Sanitary Food Preparation Act section 9 makes it unlawful to sleep, or permit anyone to sleep, in a work room of a bake shop, kitchen, dining room, confectionery, creamery, cheese factory or other place where food is prepared for sale, unless all food handled is in hermetically sealed packages. Violations are a Class B misdemeanor (sec. 13).
“It shall be unlawful for any person to sleep, or to allow or permit any person to sleep in any work room of a bake shop, kitchen, dining room, confectionery, creamery, cheese factory, or any place where food is prepared for sale, served or sold, unless all foods therein handled are at all times in hermetically sealed packages.”
Penalty: Class B misdemeanor (410 ILCS 650/13, per corpus text)
No court opinion in our database cites this section.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
Checked October 21, 2026. This is legal history and information, not legal advice. Laws change; the linked official text is the authority.
No sleeping where the food is made
The claim that it is illegal to nap in an Illinois cheese factory is true, though the cheese factory is only one item on a longer list. Section 9 of the Sanitary Food Preparation Act, 410 ILCS 650/9, reads:
It shall be unlawful for any person to sleep, or to allow or permit any person to sleep in any work room of a bake shop, kitchen, dining room, confectionery, creamery, cheese factory, or any place where food is prepared for sale, served or sold, unless all foods therein handled are at all times in hermetically sealed packages.
The rule is about food sanitation, which is why it covers bakeries and restaurant kitchens as much as cheese makers. It also reaches whoever allows or permits someone to sleep there, not just the sleeper. A violation is a Class B misdemeanor under section 13 of the same act.
Taste, don't swallow: the culinary school exception
Illinois generally bars people under 21 from possessing or consuming alcohol, and section 6-20(f) of the Liquor Control Act makes that a Class A misdemeanor. Subsection (h) carves out a narrow exception for students.
It covers students aged 18 to 20 in an accredited college program in culinary arts, fermentation science, food service or restaurant management. Such a student who "tastes, but does not imbibe, alcoholic liquor for instructional purposes up to, but not exceeding, 6 times per class" is exempt, under an instructor's supervision. "Sip and spit" is a fair shorthand, but the real rule is tied to an accredited program and a class, not open to any under-21 diner.
Two town rules, only one with teeth
Galesburg and fancy bike riding
Galesburg's Traffic Code, in its bicycle chapter, has a section headed Trick Riding. Section 73.15 says:
No rider of a bicycle shall remove both hands from the handlebars, or feet from the pedals, or practice any acrobatic or fancy riding on any street.
The same section lets the Chief of Police or an agent approve racing events under the Illinois Vehicle Code. The ordinance was passed on April 1, 1982 (Ord. 82-854), and applies only on Galesburg streets.
Joliet and the name of the city
The story that mispronouncing Joliet is a misdemeanor starts from a real section of the city code. Section 2-8 declares the official pronunciation of the city's name, Jo-li-et with a long o, and says other pronunciations are to be discouraged.
That is the whole of it. The section creates no offense and attaches no penalty, so it reads as a civic statement rather than a rule anyone can break.
Fishing in pajamas in Chicago
No Chicago rule on fishing in pajamas was found as of October 21, 2026. We read the Chicago Park District Code's use-of-parks chapter (Chapter VII), the section titles of Chicago Municipal Code chapters 8-4 and 10-36, and the section list of the Illinois Fish and Aquatic Life Code.
None of the Park District sections or the section titles we read mentions fishing attire or sleepwear. The only reference to fish in the Park District chapter is its ban on harming animals, fish included.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to sleep in a cheese factory in Illinois?
410 ILCS 650/9 makes it unlawful to sleep, or let anyone sleep, in a work room of a cheese factory, bake shop, kitchen, creamery or other place where food is prepared for sale, unless all food there is in hermetically sealed packages. A violation is a Class B misdemeanor under section 13 of the act.
Is it a crime to mispronounce Joliet?
No. Joliet Code section 2-8 declares the official pronunciation of the city's name (Jo-li-et, with a long o) and says other pronunciations are to be discouraged, but it creates no offense and no penalty.
Can culinary students under 21 taste alcohol in Illinois?
235 ILCS 5/6-20(h) exempts students aged 18 to 20 in an accredited culinary arts, fermentation science, food service or restaurant management program who taste, but do not imbibe, alcohol for instructional purposes, up to 6 times per class, under an instructor's supervision.
Is it illegal to fish in pajamas in Chicago?
No such rule was found as of October 21, 2026 in the Chicago Park District Code's use-of-parks chapter, the Chicago Municipal Code chapters we read, or the Illinois Fish and Aquatic Life Code's section list.
What are some weird laws in Illinois?
Two real state laws stand out: the ban on sleeping in food work rooms, cheese factories included, and the exemption letting 18 to 20 year old culinary students taste alcohol in class. At the city level, Galesburg bans no-hands and fancy bike riding on its streets, and Joliet sets an official pronunciation of its name without any penalty.
Updates
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
Sources and References
- 410 ILCS 650/9, Sanitary Food Preparation Act (Illinois General Assembly)(www.ilga.gov).gov
- 235 ILCS 5/6-20, Liquor Control Act of 1934 (Illinois General Assembly)(www.ilga.gov).gov
- Galesburg Code of Ordinances § 73.15, Trick Riding (official code host)(codelibrary.amlegal.com)
- Joliet Code of Ordinances Sec. 2-8, Pronunciation of name of city (official code host)(library.municode.com)
- Chicago Park District Code, Chapter VII, Use of Parks (Chicago Park District)(files.chicagoparkdistrict.com)
- People v. Smith (2025)(courtlistener.com)