Do You Have to Report a Dog Bite in Illinois? What Happens

Published: November 3, 2026

Do you have to report a dog bite in Illinois? Yes. Anyone who knows a person has been bitten by an animal must notify county animal control within 24 hours, under 510 ILCS 5/13. In Peoria County that office is Peoria County Animal Protection Services. The dog is observed for ten days from the bite at the owner’s expense.

The neighbor’s dog bit your son. The bite did not look bad, you know the family, and you do not want trouble. Do you have to report it? Yes. Wash the bite, and have your son seen if it broke the skin. Take the rest in this order: the report, the dog and its owner, the rabies question, then the claim. You make the report for your child, and you can make the first call to us.

Do you have to report a dog bite in Illinois?

Yes. The Animal Control Act puts the duty on any person who knows that a person has been bitten by an animal: notify the county animal control administrator within 24 hours. That includes the child’s parents and the dog’s owner. Under 510 ILCS 5/2.12, “bitten” covers being nipped, gripped, wounded or pierced by the dog’s teeth or jaws, and saliva on broken skin. The owner also must take the dog to a licensed veterinarian within 24 hours.

Who takes the report in Peoria County?

In Peoria County the office is Peoria County Animal Protection Services (PCAPS). Its Animal Control page says, as of September 2026, that PCAPS handles animal control for every municipality in the county. Elsewhere, call that county’s animal control office. PCAPS says to report a bite by calling 911 or the PCAPS number on its Report Animal Bites page. It also says every report is investigated to make sure the animal does not have rabies. Have these ready:

A description of the dog: type or breed, color, size, sex and tag number.
Where the dog is now, or where it was last seen.
The owner’s name and address, if you know them.

PCAPS tells the owner to confine the dog and share its last rabies vaccination date, so ask your neighbor for that date the same day.

What happens to the dog after you report the bite?

Animal control orders the dog confined and observed by a licensed veterinarian for at least ten days from the bite, until the veterinarian examines and releases it. When the owner shows the dog was current on its rabies vaccination, animal control may allow confinement at home in a way that keeps it from biting anyone. The Illinois Department of Public Health’s rabies page explains why: a dog that stays healthy through ten days of observation could not have passed rabies at the time of the bite.

When the ten days end, a veterinarian examines the dog, vaccinates it if eligible, microchips it if needed, and reports to animal control, all at the owner’s expense. Animal control then notifies the person who was bitten.

What does the report mean for the dog’s owner?

The owner pays every cost of the confinement and veterinary exams, plus a $25 public safety fine (as of 2026). During the observation, the owner may not hide the dog, sell it, give it away or have it put down, and must follow animal control’s instructions. That rule exists so the ten-day observation can run. Breaking that rule is a crime: a Class A misdemeanor the first time and a Class 4 felony after that.

A report can also lead animal control to consider whether the dog is a “dangerous dog” under 510 ILCS 5/2.05a. One definition in that section can cover a bite like this one: a dog that bites a person without justification and does not cause a serious physical injury. Under 510 ILCS 5/15.1, animal control investigates, notifies the owner, and decides, and the owner can appeal. A finding brings a $50 fine (as of 2026), plus spaying or neutering and a microchip at the owner’s expense. Animal control also orders at least one more step: an evaluation and training by a recognized expert, or adult supervision whenever the dog is in public. Whether that happens is animal control’s call, and the Act lists reasons a bite can be treated as justified.

Does my son need rabies shots after a dog bite?

Whether your son needs rabies shots is the provider’s and the health department’s decision. MedlinePlus (reviewed April 2026) says to see a provider within 24 hours for any bite that breaks the skin. The CDC’s rabies prevention page (updated July 2025) says to wash the wound immediately with soap and water for 15 minutes. The CDC’s About Rabies page (updated January 2026) describes post-exposure treatment as wound care, rabies immune globulin and four or five vaccine doses, given as soon as possible after exposure. The CDC calls that treatment nearly 100 percent effective. Our post on dog bite infection signs covers the warning signs.

The treating provider also has a separate duty under Illinois public health rules. When a bite counts as a possible rabies exposure, the provider reports it to the local health department within 24 hours, and the health department looks into whether rabies shots are recommended. Under those rules, a possible exposure includes any case where rabies shots are started, and a bite from a dog that shows signs of rabies or is otherwise suspected of it. A bite from a healthy dog that is current on its rabies vaccination usually falls outside that report, which is one reason the animal control report matters on its own.

What if the dog bite did not break the skin?

Report it anyway; a nip that left no wound is still a bite under the Act. The owner’s responsibility under the Act does not turn on a puncture wound either. The Act’s words are “attacks, attempts to attack, or injures.” A bruise from a grip, a fall, or an injury while running from a charging dog can support a claim when the other parts of the rule, explained next, are met. Our posts on a dog bite that did not break the skin and on children and dog bite injuries go further on both questions.

Does the report matter for a claim against the owner?

The Act does not require a report before a claim. The claim itself rests on 510 ILCS 5/16. That section makes the dog’s owner liable in civil damages for the full injury the dog caused. It applies when:

the dog attacked, tried to attack, or injured the person;
without provocation;
while the person was behaving peaceably;
in a place they had a right to be.

The family does not have to prove the owner was careless or that the dog bit anyone before. “Owner” under 510 ILCS 5/2.16 includes anyone who keeps, harbors or cares for the dog, so the responsible person can be a relative or friend watching it. Our post on what 510 ILCS 5/16 means for dog bite victims covers each requirement.

Provocation is measured by how the child’s actions would look to the dog, not by what the child meant. Illinois courts have reached different results where a toddler stumbled into a dog, so a bite to a very young child needs a close look at exactly what happened. The child’s own carelessness is not a defense the owner can raise under the Act.

The report still creates a dated record of the bite, the dog, its owner and its rabies vaccination status, and the veterinarian’s report records the dog’s condition. How that record can be used in a later claim is a question for the lawyer handling the case.

Does the neighbor’s homeowner’s insurance pay for the dog bite?

Standard homeowner’s and renter’s liability policies cover bodily injury caused by the policyholder’s animal unless the policy excludes it. The claim is therefore often paid by that coverage rather than by the neighbor personally. Whether a given policy covers the dog depends on its wording; some policies exclude particular breeds or dogs with a bite history. Our post on filing an insurance claim after a dog bite in Illinois covers that process.

How long do we have to file a dog bite claim in Illinois?

The deadline depends on who is filing, and the child’s claim runs longer than an adult’s.

Illinois filing deadlines after a dog bite (statutes as of 2026)
Who is filing	Deadline	Statute
The child, for the child’s own injury	Two years after the child turns 18	735 ILCS 5/13-211
A parent, for the child’s medical bills	The same extended period as the child’s claim	735 ILCS 5/13-203
An adult who was bitten	Generally two years from the bite	735 ILCS 5/13-202

What is the next step?

Get your son seen, report the bite, and write down the owner’s name and the vaccination date. Then call. The consultation is free, and the fee is a flat one-third contingency fee on personal injury cases, whether the case resolves before suit, after suit is filed, or at trial. No fee unless we win. Robert Parker personally handles every case the firm accepts. We most often serve Peoria, Tazewell, McLean, Knox and Woodford counties.

If a dog bit you or your child in central Illinois, our Peoria dog bite attorneys handle these claims.

Call 309-673-0069 or use the contact page to set up a consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to report a dog bite in Illinois if the bite was minor?

Yes. Under 510 ILCS 5/13, anyone who knows a person has been bitten by an animal notifies county animal control within 24 hours. The Act’s definition of a bite includes a nip that did not break the skin.

Will the neighbor’s dog be taken away or put down if I report the bite in Illinois?

For a healthy dog the ordinary path is ten days of observation, a veterinary exam, and release. A dog current on its rabies vaccination may be allowed to stay confined at home. A shorter observation is allowed only in situations the rules list, such as a sick or injured dog, or an owner’s written permission. A dog held for less than ten days is put down and tested for rabies at the end; otherwise the ten days run and the dog is examined and released.

Will the neighbor get in trouble if I report the dog bite in Illinois?

The owner pays the costs of the ten-day observation and a $25 public safety fine (as of 2026). Animal control may also review whether the dog is a dangerous dog; that decision is animal control’s call, and the owner can appeal.

Can we still bring a dog bite claim in Illinois if we did not report the bite?

The liability section of the Animal Control Act, 510 ILCS 5/16, does not make a report a condition of a claim. Reporting still puts the dog’s identity and vaccination status on record while the facts are fresh, and it starts the ten-day observation.

If you or your child has been injured in an animal attack, the personal injury lawyers experienced in animal attack cases are prepared to pursue compensation on your behalf.

Do You Have to Report a Dog Bite in Illinois, and What Happens Next?