IllinoisIllinois law sets licensing rules for ginseng harvesters, growers, and dealers
Wild ginseng harvesters need a state license, while growers and dealers need licenses for the activities covered by the law.
What it does
Wild ginseng harvesters need a state license, and licensed Illinois dealers are the only buyers they may sell to. Growers and dealers also need licenses for their covered activities.
After certain ginseng violations, the state may revoke or deny a license and suspend licensed activity for up to five years. Working during a suspension or while barred may lead to a misdemeanor charge.
People may not enter another person's property without permission and willfully take, dig up, destroy, or carry away ginseng, or try to do so.
Argument forLicense and record rules could help state officials trace where ginseng came from and who bought it, which may help address unlawful harvesting.
Argument againstPeople found guilty of certain ginseng violations could lose access to licensed work for up to five years, limiting how they can take part in the trade.
More detail
Wild ginseng harvesters need a state license; growers and dealers also need licenses for the activities covered by the law. These rules cover wild ginseng harvesters, people growing cultivated ginseng for sale, and people buying ginseng for resale. People must have a harvest license to cut, dig up, gather, or harvest wild ginseng, or try to do so, whether for sale or personal use. Wild ginseng may be sold only to licensed Illinois dealers, and harvesters must sell it by March 1 of the year after harvest. People who grow cultivated ginseng for sale need an annual grower's license; people who buy ginseng for resale to exporters or other dealers need a dealer's license. A harvest license runs from April 1 through March 31 and is valid during that year's established harvest season. Grower and dealer licenses run from April 1 through March 31.
The Department of Natural Resources may revoke or deny licenses and suspend people from activities that require a license after certain ginseng violations. These rules cover people with or without a license who are found guilty of violations involving ginseng. The Department may act if a licensed person is found guilty of misrepresenting information to get a license, violating the Act or its rules, or violating a federal ginseng law when part of that violation occurred in Illinois. For a person without a license, the Department may refuse to issue one and may suspend licensed activity after a qualifying finding of guilt. Department rules set the process and length, up to five years. A person whose license is suspended or revoked may not take part in the licensed activity, accompany someone doing it, or guide or help someone prepared to do it. A suspension may last up to five years. The restriction on taking part, accompanying, or helping applies during the suspension or revocation, or until the person gets the proper license.
People may not enter another person's property without permission and willfully take, dig up, destroy, or carry away ginseng, or try to do so. The property may be a forest, field, yard, building, garden, or other enclosure. The rule covers entering another person's property without permission and willfully breaking down, digging, destroying, taking, or carrying away ginseng.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Aug 7Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0785Latest
- Aug 7Effective Date January 1, 2027
- Aug 7Governor J. B. Pritzker ApprovedBecame Law
- Jun 26Sent to the GovernorTo Governor
- Jun 1Alternate Chief Sponsor Changed to Sen. John F. Curran
- May 31Passed Both Houses
- Vote recorded Concurrence, Amendment 2. Result: pass.Lower
- May 31House Concurs
- May 31Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 House Concurs 117-000-000
- May 29Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion to Concur Recommends Be Adopted Agriculture & Conservation Committee; 009-000-000
- Vote recorded Do Pass, Amendment 2. Result: pass.Lower
- May 29Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion to Concur Rules Referred to Agriculture & Conservation Committee
- May 28Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion to Concur Referred to Rules Committee
- Vote recorded Third Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- May 28Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion Filed Concur Rep. Sonya M. Harper
- May 28Placed on Calendar Order of Concurrence Senate Amendment(s) 2
- May 28Arrived in HouseMinor
- May 28Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Tabled Pursuant to Rule 5-4(a)Minor
- May 28Third Reading - Passed; 059-000-000Passed Senate
- May 22Rule 2-10 Third Reading Deadline Established As May 31, 2026
- May 14Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 18, 2026
- May 14Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Adopted; FowlerMajor
- May 14Second ReadingMinor
- May 13Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Recommend Do Adopt Criminal Law; 010-000-000
- May 12Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Assignments Refers to Criminal Law
- Vote recorded Do Pass, Amendment 2. Result: pass.Upper
- May 7Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Assignments
- May 7Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Dale FowlerMinor
- May 6Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Criminal Law
- May 6Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 7, 2026Minor
- May 6Do Pass Criminal Law; 008-000-000
- May 5Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments
- Vote recorded Do Pass. Result: pass.Upper
- May 5Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Dale FowlerMinor
- Apr 22Assigned to Criminal LawMinor
- Apr 10Referred to Assignments
- Apr 10First ReadingMinor
- Apr 10Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Dale Fowler
- Apr 10Placed on Calendar Order of First ReadingMinor
- Apr 10Arrive in SenateMinor
- Apr 9Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 097-000-000Passed House
- Vote recorded Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 7Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- Apr 7Second Reading - Short DebateMinor
- Mar 19Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short DebateMinor
- Mar 18Do Pass / Short Debate Agriculture & Conservation Committee; 008-000-000
- Vote recorded Do Pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 12Assigned to Agriculture & Conservation CommitteeMinor
- Feb 10Referred to Rules Committee
- Feb 10First ReadingMinor
- Feb 4Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Sonya M. HarperIntroduced
AgricultureCriminal Justice