Can you drill a well without a permit in Illinois?

Exempt — no permit or water right. Reasonable-use rule (Water Use Act of 1983, 525 ILCS 45). New high-capacity wells get 30-day SWCD/ISWS review, but domestic/household wells are below the threshold and exempt (Illinois Water Well Construction Code still applies).

Which Illinois counties have groundwater restrictions?

3 Illinois counties sit in a managed, over-appropriated, adjudicated, or critically overdrafted groundwater basin — including Kane County, Kendall County, Will County. Each county profile cites the specific basin and rule.

Illinois · off-grid water rights

Water rights in Illinois

Whether a new off-grid home can legally get its own water in Illinois: the state well and water-rights rules, then the 3 counties where a specific groundwater basin adds a catch — each cited to the state water agency.

Illinois water rules

Household well
Exempt — no permit or water right
Reasonable-use rule (Water Use Act of 1983, 525 ILCS 45). New high-capacity wells get 30-day SWCD/ISWS review, but domestic/household wells are below the threshold and exempt (Illinois Water Well Construction Code still applies).
Limit: household wells exempt; only high-capacity points (>=100,000 gpd) notify SWCD/ISWS
Illinois Water Use Act of 1983 (525 ILCS 45) ↗
Greywater reuse
none
No residential greywater provision; treated as wastewater.
Greywater Action / EPA REUSExplorer ↗
Rainwater harvesting
unrestricted
Legal; Green Infrastructure Act encourages collection.
NCSL ↗
Water rights
regulated riparian
Riparian base; GW permits in restricted areas above 100,000 gpd; domestic exempt.
National Agricultural Law Center ↗

3 constrained counties in Illinois

Over-appropriatedKane CountyNortheastern Illinois deep bedrock (Cambrian-Ordovician) aquifer26
Over-appropriatedKendall CountyNortheastern Illinois deep bedrock (Cambrian-Ordovician) aquifer31
Over-appropriatedWill CountyNortheastern Illinois deep bedrock (Cambrian-Ordovician) aquifer26

The Bolthole Index Letter

One email a week: the best counties to live off-grid, rule changes that matter, and Illinois water-rule changes as basins close. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Keep exploring Illinois

See the full Illinois county ranking, compare states on the water-rights hub, or read how water access is scored. Physical water is dimmed — never erased — where a county sits in one of these basins, household-first.

General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.