Is it legal to own a pet armadillo?
Legal, no state permit
Armadillos are not a protected species under the Wildlife Code and are not on the Dangerous Animals Act list.
IL · State hub
Illinois
Every QuirkMaps topic for Illinois, grouped by category. Each answer links to the official source it comes from.
Exotic pets
Vehicles
Can car dealerships open on Sundays?
Sunday car sales banned
Illinois bars car dealers from being open to sell or lease new or used cars on Sunday.
Do adults have to wear motorcycle helmets?
No helmet law
Illinois has no motorcycle helmet law; riders and passengers must wear eye protection instead.
Do you need a front license plate?
Front and rear plates
Illinois requires passenger cars to display registration plates on both the front and the rear.
Is it legal to pump your own gas?
Self-serve allowed
Illinois allows drivers to pump their own gas at self-service stations supervised by an on-duty attendant.
Is it legal to put a train horn on a car?
Allowed with limits
Illinois bans horns that make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a typical train horn likely fails.
Is there an annual vehicle safety inspection?
No safety inspection
No. Illinois safety-tests trucks, buses, taxis and other commercial-type vehicles, but not ordinary private passenger cars.
Home & property
Are fireworks legal?
Sparklers and ground fireworks only
Illinois bans consumer fireworks except sparklers and novelties, unless an adult gets a local consumer display permit and completes approved training.
Food & drink
Are happy hour drink specials legal?
Allowed with limits
Illinois allows happy hours, but only up to 4 hours a day and 15 a week, and not after 10 p.m.
Is there a bottle deposit?
No bottle deposit
Illinois has no statewide bottle deposit; proposed deposit bills have not become law.
Where can you buy liquor?
Private licensed stores
Illinois licenses private retailers to sell liquor; the state does not buy or sell spirits itself.
Time & calendar
Does the state observe daylight saving time?
Observes DST
Illinois observes daylight saving time and has not enacted a law to change that.
Money & taxes
Are groceries taxed?
Groceries exempt
Illinois ended its 1% state sales tax on groceries on January 1, 2026, though many cities and counties may add 1%.
Does the state have a lottery?
Has a state lottery
Illinois runs a state lottery under the Illinois Lottery Law, which has sold tickets since 1974.
Does the state have a sales-tax-free weekend?
Has a tax-free period
Illinois held a one-time back-to-school sales tax holiday from August 7 to 16, 2026, cutting the state rate to 1.25%.
Voting & elections
Do you need an ID to vote?
No ID document required
Illinois does not require most voters to show ID. Election judges compare the voter's signature with the registration record.