Curfews, fines: Beware Illinois communities’ trick-or-treat laws

Some Illinois communities see regulating any mischief on Halloween as a real treat. One town fines trick-or-treaters up to $750 if they don’t know the Halloween laws.

Illinois has its fair share of spooky rules governing Halloween. Depending on where you live, you may need to exercise caution before letting your children walk onto the neighbor’s porch and ask for candy.

Some rules were established long ago to address a long-forgotten issue. Others are more recent.

Oak Brook, Elmhurst, Western Springs, St. Charles and La Grange are among the towns that limit hours for trick-or-treating, starting no earlier than 3 p.m. and ending no later than 8 p.m.

• Oak Brook, 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Elmhurst, 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• St. Charles, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• La Grange, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Hinsdale and Downers Grove don’t set hours, but recommend no trick-or-treating when it’s dark outside. (No trick-or-treating after dark? Boo!)

Forsyth, just outside Decatur, imposes a $750 fine for approaching a house with no porch lights on for free candy.

Belleville has an age restriction: nobody older than 12 can trick-or-treat. There’s also a 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. limit on committing “Halloween Solicitation.”

Parents should make sure they research local ordinances before letting their children hit the streets on Halloween. That’s because common sense and parental discretion are just too scary for some communities.