Illinois campground laws require any recreational area hosting 10 or more people for six or more camping days per year to hold a license from the Illinois Department of Public Health, meet the health and safety standards in Title 77, Part 800 of the Illinois Administrative Code, and comply with the Campground Licensing and Recreational Area Act at 210 ILCS 95. Violations are Class B misdemeanors, and each day counts as a separate offense.
When the Rules Apply to Your Property
The statutory definition of a campground is broader than most owners assume. Illinois treats a property as a campground if it has three or more tents, cabins, RVs, or other shelters (permanent or temporary) set up for camping, or if it provides space for temporary RV parking or shelter placement, and it serves 10 or more people for six or more camping days in a calendar year.1Illinois Department of Public Health. Illinois Code 210 ILCS 95 – Campground Licensing and Recreational Area Act The definition also captures related structures, vehicles, enclosures, and recreational equipment on the property. A parcel with up to four mobile homes used as permanent housing still falls inside the definition.
If your operation crosses those thresholds, you need a license before opening.
Construction Permit and Operating License
Illinois splits authorization into two applications, each with its own fee.
Construction Permit
Before building a new campground or making major alterations or expansions, you file for a construction permit on IDPH-provided forms. The fee is a flat $100 and is nonrefundable.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 210 ILCS 95 – Campground Licensing and Recreational Area Act The permit is valid for one year from issue. IDPH reviews construction plans for all new campgrounds and for major expansions or alterations of existing ones.3Illinois Department of Public Health. Youth Camps and Campgrounds Converting an existing property into a campground without new construction still requires plans showing the general layout of structures and utilities, and IDPH field staff will inspect the facilities before issuing a license.
Operating License and Annual Renewal
Once construction is done, or if you are activating an existing facility, you apply for an operating license. The fee is a flat $100 regardless of campground size.4Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 210 ILCS 95/6 Every operating license expires on February 1, regardless of when it was issued. Renewal applications received after that date carry an additional $50 late fee. State and local government campgrounds are exempt from the late fee. Certain nonprofit and government-operated campgrounds may qualify for fee exemptions under Section 32 of the Act; confirm eligibility with IDPH before applying.
Annual IDPH Inspections
State law requires IDPH to inspect campgrounds annually.3Illinois Department of Public Health. Youth Camps and Campgrounds Inspectors evaluate the water supply, sewage disposal, electrical systems, general sanitation, food service, and recreational facilities. The Department can deny or refuse to renew a license until the campground comes into compliance with any violations identified.
Health and Safety Standards
The detailed operating standards live in Title 77, Part 800 of the Administrative Code and cover nearly every physical aspect of a campground.
Water Supply
Every campground where visitors stay six hours or more must provide potable water from an IDPH-approved source, except in designated primitive areas. Approved sources include community public water systems, non-community public water systems, permitted water wells, and approved surface water treatment systems.5Illinois Department of Public Health. Illinois Administrative Code Title 77 Part 800 – Recreational Area Code Water must meet the nitrate, turbidity, and bacteriological standards in the state Drinking Water Systems Code. Where no piped source is available, the operator hauls water to the site under prescribed procedures and is personally responsible for camper access.
Sewage and Waste Disposal
Any campground allowing overnight RV camping must provide either a sanitary dump station or an individual sewer riser at each space, and dump stations must comply with the state Private Sewage Disposal Code. Holding tanks paired with individual water hookups must have at least 350 gallons of storage capacity per connected sewer riser; sites without individual water hookups require a minimum of 140 gallons per riser.5Illinois Department of Public Health. Illinois Administrative Code Title 77 Part 800 – Recreational Area Code All sewage generated in the campground must discharge into a system approved by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency or a private system built to state code. Sink waste must go through dry wells or the sewage system, and dry wells installed after 1986 are permitted only for tent sites, picnic areas, and primitive areas.
Electrical Systems
New electrical installations at campgrounds built after July 1, 2023 must conform to the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70-2017), including the RV park requirements in Article 551B.6Legal Information Institute. Illinois Administrative Code Title 77 Section 800.1600 – Electrical Safety Receptacles serving RVs must be grounding-type at 15, 20, 30, or 50 amperes and must test for proper wiring. Overhead wiring in vehicle traffic areas needs at least 15 feet of clearance. Outdoor receptacles must sit at least 18 inches above ground. Electrical equipment cannot be attached to trees. Operators must inspect components periodically and immediately repair or replace damaged equipment.
Fire Safety
Open fires must stay at least 10 feet from any building, vehicle, or tent.7Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code Title 77 Part 800 – Recreational Area Code Multi-story buildings with sleeping or living quarters above ground level need at least two means of exit from upper floors, a working fire extinguisher on each floor mounted no more than five feet off the ground with unobstructed access, and at least one smoke detector per floor level in permanent sleeping buildings, installed per NFPA 101 standards.5Illinois Department of Public Health. Illinois Administrative Code Title 77 Part 800 – Recreational Area Code
Food Service and Sanitation
Campground food service operations serving more than one meal per week must comply with the state Food Service Sanitation rules and provide a certified food service manager or supervisor.7Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code Title 77 Part 800 – Recreational Area Code Grounds, buildings, campsites, and roadways must be maintained free from deterioration and cleared of garbage and refuse to prevent insect breeding and rodent harborage. Playground equipment must be kept in safe condition, and damaged equipment must be repaired or removed.
Recreation Rules Operators Must Enforce
Swimming and Boating
Swimming pools and bathing beaches within a campground must be designed, built, and operated under the Illinois Swimming Pool and Bathing Beach Code, and swimming is limited to designated areas meeting those standards.7Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code Title 77 Part 800 – Recreational Area Code Boating falls under the Boat Registration and Safety Act (625 ILCS 45). Every watercraft must carry at least one Coast Guard-approved wearable life jacket per person, readily available. Children under 13 must wear a properly sized life jacket whenever the boat is underway on an open deck. Personal watercraft require everyone aboard to wear a life jacket at all times. Motorboats must have effective mufflers or underwater exhaust and cannot exceed 75 decibels measured from the shoreline.8Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 45 – Boat Registration and Safety Act
Hunting Buffers
The Illinois Wildlife Code (520 ILCS 5) governs hunting statewide, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources sets site-specific restrictions for state-managed properties.9Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 520 ILCS 5 – Wildlife Code On DNR-managed sites, hunting with .224 caliber or smaller centerfire rifles is prohibited within 300 yards of campgrounds, boat ramps, day-use areas, or occupied dwellings.10Legal Information Institute. Illinois Administrative Code Title 17 Section 550.30 – Hunting on Department Sites Seasons, species, and permitted weapons vary by site. Private campground operators near hunting land should check local ordinances and mark any restricted zones.
Firewood Transport
To slow invasive pests like the spongy moth, DNR-managed properties prohibit firewood sourced from more than 50 miles away or from out of state unless it is certified, heat-treated firewood. Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties are under a spongy moth quarantine that prohibits moving uncertified firewood out of those areas. The state recommends firewood be produced, sold, and burned locally, and campgrounds may set stricter policies. Post the rule at check-in and on reservation confirmations so guests do not arrive with a truckload of contraband oak.
Service Animals
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, campgrounds serving the public must allow service dogs to accompany people with disabilities in all areas open to the public. Only dogs individually trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability qualify; emotional support animals do not.11ADA.gov. ADA Requirements: Service Animals Pet fees must be waived for service animals. The handler must keep the dog leashed or otherwise under control. A campground can ask a handler to remove the animal only if it is out of control and the handler is not correcting it, or if the dog is not housebroken. Operators can still charge for actual property damage the service animal causes.
Liability, Insurance, and Workers’ Compensation
Recreational-Use Immunity Usually Does Not Apply
The Recreational Use of Land and Water Areas Act (745 ILCS 65) says landowners who allow public recreational access owe no duty to keep the property safe and no duty to warn of natural or artificial dangers.12Justia Law. Illinois Code 745 ILCS 65 – Recreational Use of Land and Water Areas Act The protection applies only when access is allowed without charge. Under the Act, “charge” means an admission fee for permission to go onto the land; sharing game or fish, indirect benefits, and conservation-related contributions do not count.13Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 745 ILCS 65/2 Collecting campsite fees is almost always an admission charge, so most commercial campgrounds cannot rely on this immunity. Even qualifying landowners remain liable for willful and wanton failure to guard against a dangerous condition.
Insurance
No single Illinois statute specifically requires private campgrounds to carry general liability or property insurance. Workers’ compensation is different. Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305), employers must secure coverage for work-related injuries and illnesses by obtaining approval as a self-insurer, furnishing a bond, purchasing a policy from an authorized carrier, or making another arrangement satisfactory to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission.14Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 820 ILCS 305 – Workers Compensation Act If your campground has any employees, this is not optional.
Penalties for Violations
Any violation of the Campground Licensing and Recreational Area Act, or any IDPH rule, regulation, or order issued under it, is a Class B misdemeanor, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 210 ILCS 95 – Campground Licensing and Recreational Area Act The county State’s Attorney or the Illinois Attorney General can bring criminal charges, seek injunctive relief, or ask a court to shut the campground down. IDPH can also deny, refuse to renew, or revoke a license when it finds a facility out of compliance. Because penalties stack daily and the state can seek an injunction to halt operations, an unresolved violation can move from a manageable fine to a closure order quickly.