Voting & Civil Rights

Illinois law protects people who need bathroom access in places open to the public and at work. 

Note: As of 4:00 P.M. Central Standard Time on January 31, 2025, federal agencies may be restricting bathroom access by requiring people to use single-sex restrooms that match their assigned sex at birth. If you plan to visit a federal property in Illinois and have questions about current building policies, including restroom availability and restrictions, contact the agency that operates the property or the building's service desk for more information.

General bathroom requirements

This article discusses several styles of bathrooms described in the Equitable Restrooms Act:

• Gender-neutral, single-user restrooms that allow anyone privacy,
• Multi-user, single-sex restrooms that are designated for use by males or females, and
• All-gender multi-user restrooms, which are legally allowed but uncommon.

Bathrooms at large event venues

At publicly or privately owned sports or entertainment arenas, stadiums, community or convention halls, special event centers, amusement facilities, and special event centers in public parks, the following restrooms must be provided:

• At least one women’s toilet stall for every 200 people in the venue’s maximum legal capacity,
• At least one men’s toilet stall for every 700 people in the venue’s maximum legal capacity, and
• At least one men’s urinal for every 250 people in the venue’s maximum legal capacity.

Adult changing stations

Adult changing stations must be provided in the State Capitol Building and rest stops located on an interstate highway. These stations must:

• Be powered and height-adjustable,
• Have safety rails on each side and a safety belt,
• Be capable of being lowered to a height of 19 inches or less and raised to at least 38 inches,
• Be at least 25 inches wide and 72 inches long, and
• Support at least 400 pounds.

Baby diaper changing tables

A safe baby diaper changing station must be available to men and women at:

• Publicly or privately owned sports or entertainment arenas, stadiums, community or convention halls, special event centers, amusement facilities, and special event centers in public parks,
• State buildings open to the public,
• Retail stores of more than 5,000 square feet that contain a restroom open to the public, and
• Restaurants with an occupancy of at least 60 people, a restroom open to the public, and an entrance that isn’t within 300 feet of a centrally located, publicly accessible diaper changing station.

Baby diaper changing stations can be provided:

• In a gender-neutral restroom, or
• In both men’s and women’s multi-user, single-sex restrooms.

Note: Health facilities with single-user restrooms and industrial buildings, nightclubs, or bars that don’t permit people under 18 years of age to enter the premises don’t have to offer changing stations.

Single-sex multi-user bathroom access

Note: The following information may not apply to federal properties due to a requirement that federal agencies restrict bathroom access by assigned sex at birth as of 4:00 P.M. Central Standard Time on January 31, 2025. For questions about current restroom availability and restrictions at federal properties, contact the building's service desk or the agency that operates the property.

The Chicago Human Rights Ordinance and the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance prohibit gender identity-based discrimination in public bathroom access. People can’t be required to provide identification or otherwise confirm their sex to obtain access to single-sex restrooms. This means people in Chicago and Cook County can choose a public restroom that’s designated for a specific sex based on their own assessment of their gender.

The Illinois Human Rights Act addresses LGBTQIA+ rights under the category of gender-related identity:

• “‘Sex’ means the status of being male or female,” and
• “‘Sexual orientation’ means actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or gender-related identity, whether or not traditionally associated with the person’s designated sex at birth.”

In 2021, an Illinois court ruled that this meant an employer couldn’t refuse a transgender employee access to the multi-user bathroom designated for her current sex. The court noted that the Illinois Human Rights Act describes sex as the “status of being male or female,” which can change over time. Additionally, the employee’s identification reflected her status as female.

The Illinois Human Rights Act protects the rights of people to use single-sex public bathrooms that match their current sex in the following places:

• Inns, hotels, motels, and lodging places, unless the building has no more than 5 units for rent and the proprietor lives there,
• Restaurants, bars, and other establishments serving food or drink,
• Movie theaters, concert halls, stadiums, and other entertainment venues,
• Auditoriums, convention centers, lecture halls, and similar public gathering places,
• Bakeries, grocery stores, clothing stores, hardware stores, shopping centers, and other sales and rental businesses,
• Laundromats, dry cleaners, banks, barber shops, beauty shops, travel services, shoe repair services, funeral parlors gas stations, professional services such as accountants and lawyers, pharmacies, insurance offices, medical providers, hospitals, and other service establishments,
• Public transportation vehicles and related stations on air, water, and land,
• Museums, libraries, galleries, and other places of public display and collection,
• Parks, zoos, amusement parks, and other recreational facilities,
• Non-sectarian nurseries, day care centers, schools, and places of education,
• Senior citizen centers, homeless shelters, food banks, non-sectarian adoption agencies, and other social service centers, and
• Gyms, health spas, bowling alleys, golf courses, and other exercise and recreation vendors.

For more information, please visit Advocates for Trans Equality.