State laws › IL
Dog bite law in Illinois: what you have to prove, and who pays
- Framework Strict liability
- Covers Any injury
- Damages Full damages available
510 ILCS 5/16 (Animal Control Act)
One of the broadest animal liability statutes in the country. It is not limited to bites and it is not limited to dogs.
The rule
- It covers attacks, attempted attacks, and injuries.
Section 16 of the Animal Control Act reaches any animal that attacks, attempts to attack, or injures a person. A knockdown, a chase that causes a fall, or a scratch is within the statute. Most states' laws are not this wide.
- It covers animals other than dogs.
The statute is written to reach any animal, not only dogs.
- You must have been peaceably where you had a right to be.
Provocation defeats the claim, and the requirement that you were lawfully present excludes trespassers.
Worth knowing
If a dog knocked you or an older relative down and there was no bite, Illinois is one of the states where that is still squarely a claim. In California, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey and Washington it would not be.
Who the claim is actually against
In most Illinois bite claims the money comes from the dog owner's homeowners or renters liability coverage rather than from the owner personally. Liability limits commonly run from $100,000 to $500,000, and the coverage usually follows the dog off the property. Policies routinely exclude specific breeds or dogs with a documented bite history, which is the single most common reason an otherwise good claim goes nowhere.
How homeowners coverage works in a bite claim →
The deadline
There is a filing deadline in Illinois and it is shorter than most people expect. It can be shortened further if a city, county or state entity is involved, and it can be extended if the injured person is a minor. The general personal injury period is commonly cited as 2 years (735 ILCS 5/13-202), but do not rely on that figure — including from this page — without confirming the date that applies to your facts with a lawyer licensed in Illinois.
What to do next
If the injury was treated and is healing, there is no lasting scarring, and nobody is disputing what happened, this is the kind of claim most law firms will not take — and the kind you can often handle yourself. The Claim Kit covers it end to end.
If a child was bitten, there is scarring anywhere visible, you needed surgery or a specialist, there is nerve damage, you are still in treatment, or the insurer is denying coverage, talk to a lawyer before you sign anything.
Last reviewed August 2026 · Corrections welcome