AUTHORITY: Implementing and authorized by Sections 1.3, 1.4, 1.13, 2.1, 2.2, 2.6, 2.7, 2.13, 2.27, 2.30, 2.33, 3.5, 3.27, 3.28 and 3.29 of the Wildlife Code [520 ILCS 5].
SOURCE: Adopted at 5 Ill. Reg. 8777, effective August 25, 1981; codified at 5 Ill. Reg. 10634; amended at 6 Ill. Reg. 10667, effective August 20, 1982; amended at 7 Ill. Reg. 10755, effective August 24, 1983; amended at 8 Ill. Reg. 21574, effective October 23, 1984; amended at 9 Ill. Reg. 15846, effective October 8, 1985; amended at 10 Ill. Reg. 15579, effective September 16, 1986; emergency amendment at 10 Ill. Reg. 18822, effective October 16, 1986, for a maximum of 150 days; emergency expired March 15, 1987; amended at 11 Ill. Reg. 10546, effective May 21, 1987; amended at 12 Ill. Reg. 12016, effective July 7, 1988; amended at 13 Ill. Reg. 12796, effective July 21, 1989; emergency amendment at 13 Ill. Reg. 12985, effective July 31, 1989, for a maximum of 150 days; emergency expired December 28, 1989; amended at 13 Ill. Reg. 17348, effective October 27, 1989; amended at 14 Ill. Reg. 10775, effective June 20, 1990; emergency amendment at 14 Ill. Reg. 18324, effective October 29, 1990, for a maximum of 150 days; emergency expired March 28, 1991; amended at 15 Ill. Reg. 9924, effective June 24, 1991; emergency amendment at 15 Ill. Reg. 16124, effective October 25, 1991, for a maximum of 150 days; emergency expired March 23, 1992; amended at 15 Ill. Reg. 18138, effective December 6, 1991; amended at 16 Ill. Reg. 12470, effective July 28, 1992; amended at 16 Ill. Reg. 18951, effective December 1, 1992; amended at 17 Ill. Reg. 15534, effective September 10, 1993; amended at 18 Ill. Reg. 12628, effective August 9, 1994; amended at 19 Ill. Reg. 12615, effective August 29, 1995; recodified by changing the agency name from Department of Conservation to Department of Natural Resources at 20 Ill. Reg. 9389; amended at 20 Ill. Reg. 12397, effective August 30, 1996; amended at 21 Ill. Reg. 9042, effective June 26, 1997; amended at 22 Ill. Reg. 14762, effective August 3, 1998; amended at 23 Ill. Reg. 9012, effective July 28, 1999; amended at 24 Ill. Reg. 12496, effective August 7, 2000; amended at 25 Ill. Reg. 11119, effective August 21, 2001; amended at 26 Ill. Reg. 16210, effective October 18, 2002; amended at 27 Ill. Reg. 15381, effective September 18, 2003; amended at 28 Ill. Reg. 12835, effective September 1, 2004; amended at 29 Ill. Reg. 13813, effective August 26, 2005; amended at 30 Ill. Reg. 14478, effective August 24, 2006; amended at 31 Ill. Reg. 9175, effective June 18, 2007; amended at 32 Ill. Reg. 17455, effective October 24, 2008; amended at 33 Ill. Reg. 13871, effective September 21, 2009; amended at 34 Ill. Reg. 16429, effective October 8, 2010; amended at 35 Ill. Reg. 15212, effective September 2, 2011; amended at 36 Ill. Reg. 14704, effective September 21, 2012; amended at 37 Ill. Reg. 16394, effective October 3, 2013; amended at 38 Ill. Reg. 22722, effective November 18, 2014; amended at 39 Ill. Reg. 11331, effective August 3, 2015; amended at 40 Ill. Reg. 10475, effective July 20, 2016; amended at 40 Ill. Reg. 15149, effective October 18, 2016; amended at 41 Ill. Reg. 8525, effective June 28, 2017; amended at 42 Ill. Reg. 13057, effective June 22, 2018; amended at 43 Ill. Reg. 9401, effective August 23, 2019; amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 12592, effective September 24, 2021; amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 18546, effective November 2, 2022; amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 3840, effective March 1, 2024; amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 15519, effective October 17, 2024.
Section 530.10 Statewide General Regulations
a) Game breeding and hunting preserve areas licensed pursuant to Section 3.27 of the Wildlife Code [520 ILCS 5/3.27] and managed pursuant to Sections 3.28 and 3.29 of the Wildlife Code [520 ILCS 5/3.28 and 3.29] are exempt from all provisions in this Part except for those pertaining to rabbit and crow in Section 530.20, 530.60, and the provisions of Section 530.10(b) pertaining to holders of Standing Vehicle Permits.
b) Holders of Standing Vehicle Permits issued by the Department pursuant to Section 2.33 of the Wildlife Code [520 ILCS 5/2.33] shall be permitted to carry a loaded and uncased shotgun in or on a vehicle or conveyance under the following conditions:
1) the permittee must be in the field legally hunting pheasant, quail, Hungarian partridge or rabbit;
2) the shotgun's mechanical safety must be functioning and engaged while the vehicle or conveyance is moving;
3) the vehicle or conveyance must be operated by a responsible person other than the permittee;
4) the permittee, the vehicle or conveyance operator, and any other persons in the hunting party must wear a blaze orange or blaze pink cap;
5) the vehicle must be operated at a normal walk speed of no greater than 5 mph; and
6) The vehicle or conveyance must be constructed so:
A) it puts the permittee forward of the vehicle operator; and
B) the permittee is in a securely fastened chair or seat.
c) Hunting from a vehicle without a standing vehicle permit is a Class A misdemeanor with a minimum $500 fine and a maximum $5,000 fine in addition to other statutory penalties (see 520 ILCS 5/2.33(i)). All other violations of this Part are Class B misdemeanors (see 520 ILCS 5/2.33(hh)).
(Source: Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 15519, effective October 17, 2024)
Section 530.20 Statewide Cock Pheasant, Hungarian Partridge, Bobwhite Quail, and Cottontail and Swamp Rabbit Regulations
a) Zones: South zone consists of all lands south of the line that follows U.S. Route 36 from the Indiana State line to Springfield, all lands west of the line that follows Route 29 from Springfield to Pekin and all lands south of the line that follows Route 9 from Pekin to Dallas City, then due west to the Mississippi River; north zone is the remainder of the State.
b) Season dates:
1) North (all species except rabbits) – first Saturday in November through the following January 8.
South (all species except rabbits) – first Saturday in November through the following January 15.
Rabbits statewide – the first Saturday in November through the following February 15.
2) Hunting outside the set season dates is a petty offense.
c) Hunting hours: Sunrise until sunset. Hunting prior to sunrise or after sunset is a petty offense (see 520 ILCS 5/2.2). Hunting before ˝ hour prior to sunrise or after ˝ hour after sunset is a Class A misdemeanor with a minimum $500 fine and a maximum $5,000 fine in addition to other statutory penalties (see 520 ILCS 5/2.33(y)).
d) Daily limit:
1) Cock Pheasant – 2 (see 520 ILCS 5/2.6)
Bobwhite Quail – 8 (see 520 ILCS 5/2.7
Hungarian Partridge – 2 (see 520 ILCS 5/2.13)
Rabbit – 4 (see 520 ILCS 5/2.27)
2) Exceeding the daily limit is a petty offense.
e) Possession limit (after the second day of the hunting season):
1) Cock Pheasant – 6 (see 520 ILCS 5/2.6)
Bobwhite Quail – 20 (see 520 ILCS 5/2.7)
Hungarian Partridge – 6 (see 520 ILCS 5/2.13)
Rabbit – 10 (see 520 ILCS 5/2.27)
2) Exceeding the possession limit is a petty offense.
f) Cock pheasant may be hunted only; hen pheasants are illegal to take or possess, except as specified on controlled hunting areas operated pursuant to Sections 1.13 or 3.27 of the Wildlife Code [520 ILCS 5/1.13 or 3.27] or at sites listed in Section 530.105 and as provided for on designated sites in Section 530.110, and by falconry methods as described in 17 Ill. Adm. Code 1590, Falconry and the Captive Propagation of Raptors. Illegal taking of hen pheasants is a petty offense (see 520 ILCS 5/2.6).
(Source: Amended at 40 Ill. Reg. 15149, effective October 18, 2016)