ILCS » Chapter 65 · Act 5
Illinois Compiled Statutes

65 ILCS 5/1-2-1 (2026)

The corporate authorities of each municipality may pass all ordinances and make all rules and regulations proper or necessary, to carry into effect the powers granted to municipalities, with such fines or penalties as may be deemed proper

✓ current as of May 2026
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(65 ILCS 5/1-2-1) (from Ch. 24, par. 1-2-1)
    Sec. 1-2-1. The corporate authorities of each municipality may pass all ordinances and make all rules and regulations proper or necessary, to carry into effect the powers granted to municipalities, with such fines or penalties as may be deemed proper. No fine or penalty, however, except civil penalties provided for failure to make returns or to pay any taxes levied by the municipality shall exceed $750 and no imprisonment authorized in Section 1-2-9 for failure to pay any fine, penalty or cost shall exceed 6 months for one offense.
    A penalty imposed for violation of an ordinance may include, or consist of, a requirement that the defendant do one or both of the following:
        (1) Complete an education program, except that a
    
holder of a valid commercial driver's license who commits a vehicle weight or size restriction violation shall not be required to complete an education program under this Section.
        (2) Perform some reasonable public service work such
    
as but not limited to the picking up of litter in public parks or along public highways or the maintenance of public facilities.
    A default in the payment of a fine or penalty or any installment of a fine or penalty may be collected by any means authorized for the collection of monetary judgments. The municipal attorney of the municipality in which the fine or penalty was imposed may retain attorneys and private collection agents for the purpose of collecting any default in payment of any fine or penalty or installment of that fine or penalty. Any fees or costs incurred by the municipality with respect to attorneys or private collection agents retained by the municipal attorney under this Section shall be charged to the offender.
    A low-income individual required to complete an education program under this Section who provides proof of eligibility for the federal earned income tax credit under Section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code or the Illinois earned income tax credit under Section 212 of the Illinois Income Tax Act shall not be required to pay any fee for participating in a required education program.
(Source: P.A. 95-389, eff. 1-1-08; 96-288, eff. 8-11-09.)

    
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 2004–2026 · leading case: City of Urbana v. Andrew N.B., 813 N.E.2d 132 (Ill. 2004).
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City of Urbana v. Andrew N.B., 813 N.E.2d 132 (Ill. 2004). · cites it 2× “1 (West 2002) ("The prosecution shall be under and conform to the rules of criminal procedure").”
Shachter v. City of Chicago, 2011 IL App (1st) 103582 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). “65 ILCS 5/1-2-1 (West 2008). As such, we reject plaintiff’s argument that either the Illinois Municipal Code or the city’s municipal code provides that–upon receiving plaintiff’s request–the ALO was required to issue a subpoena and provide plaintiff with an opportunity to…”
SHACHTER v. City of Chicago, 962 N.E.2d 586 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). · cites it 2× “" 65 ILCS 5/1-2-1 (West 2008). In turn, the city's municipal code provides: "[a]ny authorized department or agency of the city may institute an administrative adjudication proceeding with the department of administrative hearings by forwarding a copy of a notice of violation or…”
Shachter v. The City of Chicago, 2016 IL App (1st) 150442 (Ill. App. Ct. 2016). · cites it 2× “See 65 ILCS 5/1-2-1 (West 2014) (authorizing municipalities to "pass all ordinances and make all rules and regulations proper or necessary, to carry into effect the powers granted" them, including the imposition of "such fines or penalties as may be deemed proper," with the…”
Englum v. City of Charleston, 2017 IL App (4th) 160747 (Ill. App. Ct. 2017). · cites it 3× “” 65 ILCS 5/1-2-1 (West 2012). ¶ 62 One way non-home-rule municipalities exceed their power is by enacting ordinances that infringe on an already existing state statutory scheme.”
Englum v. The City of Charleston, 2017 IL App (4th) 160747 (Ill. App. Ct. 2017). · cites it 4× “” ¶ 23 In its briefs, the City argued that it had authority under the Illinois Municipal Code (65 ILCS 5/1-2-1, 10-4-1 (West 2012)) to establish the administrative scheme created by the Ordinance.”
Shachter v. City of Chicago, 2016 IL App (1st) 150442 (Ill. App. Ct. 2016). · cites it 2× “See 65 ILCS 5/1-2-1 (West 2014) (authorizing municipalities to "pass all ordinances and make all rules and regulations proper or necessary, to carry into effect the powers granted" them, including the imposition of "such fines or penalties as may be deemed proper," with the…”
DPH Aurora Props. LLC v. City of Aurora, 2025 IL App (2d) 240540 (Ill. App. Ct. 2025). “The City’s website notified landlords that the crime-free lease addenda and criminal background check affidavits were to be provided to an inspector at the time of inspection. Plaintiffs failed to allege that they were unaware of this requirement.”
City of Naperville v. Penick, 2026 IL App (3d) 250217-U (Ill. App. Ct. 2026). · cites it 2× “Rather, he cites section 1-2-1 of the Illinois Municipal Code (65 ILCS 5/1-2-1 (West 2024)), which sets forth permissible fines and penalties for 11 ordinance violations.”
Vill. of Rockton v. Sonoco Prods. Co., 135 F. Supp. 3d 700 (N.D. Ill. 2015). “Indeed, attorneys are only mentioned in two sentences in 65 ILCS 5/1-2-1 — the first sentence authorizes the municipal attorney to “retain attorneys and private collection agents for the purpose of collecting any default in payment of any fine or penalty,” and the very next…”
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