Cook County Business Laws for Small Businesses

Cook County adds four ordinances to federal and Illinois law: paid leave, minimum wage, licensing of businesses in unincorporated areas and human rights. They bind only work, premises or licenses inside Cook County. The Cook County Commission on Human Rights enforces the paid leave, minimum wage and human rights ordinances, and the county Department of Revenue issues the general business license.

What applies only in Cook County

• Paid leave: employees earn 1 hour per 40 hours worked, with a 40-hour yearly minimum (pro rata for part-timers), usable for any reason after 90 days. Chicago has its own ordinance.
• Minimum wage: $15.40 an hour, or $9.25 for tipped workers, since July 1, 2026, against $15.00 and $9.00 under Illinois law; both generally cover employers with four or more employees. Chicago's rates are higher, and some suburbs follow their own rules.
• General business license: needed only in unincorporated Cook County, not in towns or Chicago, which have their own rules. The County says it costs $40 for the two-year period ending February 28, 2027.
• Human rights: the ordinance covers employers with one or more employees that are based or do business in the county.

How Cook County fits with the other levels

The county rules stack on top of the federal and Illinois rules. A business located and operating only in DuPage, Kane, Will or Kendall county, where Naperville and Aurora sit, is outside all four ordinances and follows the Illinois statutes. For paid leave, a business with sites in different places follows each site's law. Towns can differ, so confirm the local rules; our Cook County page and the who enforces what directory help with the next step.