County Building Permits
Hancock County, IL - 2026 Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Hancock County, Illinois. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
County highway office; no public countywide building permit page found.
- Department
- County Engineer
- Address
- Hancock County Highway Dept, 101 S. 1st Street, PO Box 379, Carthage, IL 62321
- Phone
- 217-357-3155
Application Process
General Requirements
- Building code
- Statewide minimum building code standards are effective under Illinois Public Act 103-0510 (2025-01-01), with no separate public Hancock County adopted code found.
- Contractor requirements
- No county general contractor license rule found; Illinois trade licensing still applies to electricians and plumbers.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the County Engineer to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
Additional Resources
- Building code: Statewide minimum building code standards are effective under Illinois Public Act 103-0510 (2025-01-01), with no separate public Hancock County adopted code found.
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- County Clerk
- County Clerk Online Records
- License lookup guide: Illinois Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: Illinois Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- Illinois hub: Illinois Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the County Engineer before applying.
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