Declawing a cat is legal in most of Illinois as of early 2026. No state law prohibits the procedure, so a licensed veterinarian can perform an elective declaw and an owner can request one. The exception is Evanston, which banned the procedure by city ordinance in December 2024. A bill pending in the Illinois Senate would extend a similar ban statewide, but it has not become law.
Local Bans Already in Effect
Evanston became the first Illinois city to prohibit cat declawing when it passed its ordinance in December 2024. The local law defines the prohibited procedures, allows exceptions for therapeutic purposes, and sets a $2,000 fine for violations. If you live in Evanston or take your cat to a veterinarian there, elective declawing is no longer available.
Buffalo Grove took a lighter step in August 2024. Its village board issued a proclamation supporting state legislation and asked local veterinarians to stop performing the procedure voluntarily, but it did not enact a ban. No other Illinois municipality had adopted a formal prohibition as of early 2025.
The Pending Statewide Ban
Senator Linda Holmes filed Senate Bill 257 on January 22, 2025, and Senator Sara Feigenholtz signed on as a chief co-sponsor the following month.1Illinois General Assembly. Bill Status of SB0257 The bill would create a new standalone law called the Cat Declawing Act and would take effect 90 days after being signed. It has not received a committee hearing, and until it passes both chambers and is signed by the governor, declawing remains legal at the state level.
Under the bill, “declawing” means an onychectomy or any other surgery that amputates or modifies part of a cat’s paw to remove the claws. The bill also bans tendonectomy, which cuts the tendons that control the claws so the cat can no longer extend them. A catch-all provision would prohibit any procedure that alters a cat’s toes, claws, or paws in a way that prevents or impairs normal function.2Illinois General Assembly. Full Text of SB0257
Two common practices are explicitly outside the ban. Trimming the nonviable outer sheath of a claw, which is what happens during routine nail trims, would not count as declawing. Applying nonpermanent soft nail caps would also remain legal. The prohibition would apply both to the person performing the procedure and to the person requesting it, so an owner who asks for an elective declaw could face penalties too.
The Medical Exception
SB0257 would allow a licensed veterinarian to declaw a cat when the procedure is medically necessary for a therapeutic purpose. That term is defined narrowly: the procedure must address an existing or recurring infection, disease, injury, or abnormal condition affecting the claws, nail bed, or toe bone that jeopardizes the cat’s health. A nail bed tumor or a chronic claw infection would qualify.
The bill specifically excludes cosmetic or aesthetic reasons and reasons of convenience for the owner. Furniture damage, scratching people, and a landlord’s preference would not be grounds for a legal declaw. The veterinarian performing any exception procedure must be licensed under the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004.3Justia. 225 ILCS 115 Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004
Penalties If the Bill Passes
Violations would carry escalating civil fines: $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second, and $2,500 for a third or subsequent violation. The Illinois Attorney General or the State’s Attorney in the county where the violation occurred would have authority to bring enforcement actions.4LegiScan. IL SB0257 2025-2026 104th General Assembly These are civil penalties, not criminal charges, and would not carry jail time. A licensed veterinarian who violated the law could also be referred to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, putting the vet’s license at risk on top of the fine.
Why Some Illinois Vets Already Refuse
Even where declawing remains legal, you may find that clinics near you no longer offer it. The American Veterinary Medical Association strongly discourages veterinarians from performing elective declawing or tendonectomy, noting that scratching is a normal behavior that conditions the claws, marks territory, provides self-defense, and stretches the muscles. The AVMA also describes declawing as an acutely painful procedure that requires aggressive pain management.5American Veterinary Medical Association. Declawing of Domestic Cats
The American Association of Feline Practitioners went further. Beginning January 1, 2021, the AAFP required all Cat Friendly Practices to stop performing elective declawing as a condition of keeping that designation.6American Association of Feline Practitioners. American Association of Feline Practitioners Announce End of Elective Declawing Procedures For Cat Friendly Practices If you call around Illinois looking for a vet to perform the procedure, expect refusals even without a legal ban.
Alternatives You Can Use Now
If scratching is the problem you’re trying to solve, several approaches don’t involve surgery and would stay legal even if SB0257 passes. Regular nail trims keep claws blunt. Nonpermanent nail caps, which the proposed bill treats as separate from declawing, cover the sharp tips and last several weeks per application. Placing sturdy scratching posts where your cat already tends to scratch redirects the behavior to an acceptable surface.
For persistent issues, a consultation with a certified animal behaviorist can identify triggers and produce a training plan. The AAFP also publishes a Claw Friendly Educational Toolkit designed to help veterinary teams and owners manage life with a clawed cat.