Is Kratom Legal in Illinois? 7-OH and Kratom Leaf Rules (Updated October 2026)

Is kratom legal in Illinois? For adults, yes. As of October 12, 2026, Illinois has no statewide ban on kratom leaf or on 7-OH (7-hydroxymitragynine). State law only bars sales to, and possession by, anyone under 18. Several cities have passed their own bans, and federal action on concentrated 7-OH is still pending.

That answer could change at short notice. The DEA has proposed placing concentrated 7-OH in Schedule I, and the Justice Department said on October 9, 2026 that a new notice is coming. Our 7-OH federal scheduling fact sheet tracks those deadlines.

Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy or use any 7-OH product.

Status as of October 12, 2026: Kratom leaf and 7-OH are not banned statewide in Illinois for adults. The Kratom Control Act (720 ILCS 642) prohibits sales to and possession by people under 18. Bloomington, Normal, Minooka and Monticello have local bans on kratom sales. Federally, MGPI, MGM-15 and MGM-16 have been Schedule I since August 26, 2026, and no 7-OH scheduling order has been issued.

Is kratom legal in Illinois? Short answer, dated

Yes for adults 18 and over, with limits. Illinois regulates kratom through one short statute, the Kratom Control Act, which only addresses minors. No state law caps 7-OH content, requires lab testing or licenses sellers. Local ordinances and pending federal scheduling are the main limits in October 2026.

The table below sums up where each category stands at the state and federal level.

Category	Illinois law	Federal law
Kratom leaf and powder	Legal for adults; banned for under 18	Not scheduled
Concentrated 7-OH products	No state ban; under 18 rules apply	DEA scheduling pending; new notice announced October 9, 2026
MGPI, MGM-15, MGM-16	Not named in state law	Schedule I since August 26, 2026
Local rules	Some cities ban sales	Not applicable

Illinois law on kratom leaf

Illinois law treats kratom leaf as legal for adults. The Kratom Control Act, in force since January 1, 2015 (Public Act 98-981), makes it a Class B misdemeanor for anyone under 18 to buy or possess kratom.

Selling or giving kratom to a minor is also a Class B misdemeanor, with a minimum $500 fine.

The Act's definition is broad. It covers any part of the Mitragyna speciosa plant and any compound, salt, derivative or preparation made from it, and it names mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine as examples. So the under 18 rule applies to leaf, extracts and 7-OH products alike.

The Act does not set labeling standards, potency limits or seller registration. That gap is what most of the 2026 bills tried to fill.

Is 7-OH legal in Illinois?

Illinois has no state law that bans or caps 7-OH for adults as of October 12, 2026. Because the Kratom Control Act's definition includes 7-hydroxymitragynine, the under 18 ban covers it. Beyond that, federal scheduling and local ordinances are what would restrict 7-OH products in the state.

This describes the law; it is not an endorsement. The DEA has proposed Schedule I placement for 7-OH products above a threshold. If it issues that order, it applies in Illinois the day it takes effect, whatever state law says.

Anyone checking product claims against a lab result can see our guide on how to read a 7-OH lab report, which explains how alkaloid content is reported.

Bills pending in Springfield

Several kratom bills were filed in the 2025 to 2026 Illinois General Assembly, but none had passed either chamber as of October 12, 2026. Most were sent back to the House Rules Committee or the Senate Assignments Committee in spring 2026. The 104th General Assembly runs until January 2027.

• HB 4737 (Kratom Consumer Protection Act): Would cap 7-OH at 2% of a product's alkaloid composition, ban synthesized alkaloids, raise the minimum age to 21, require warning labels and set civil penalties of $5,000 and $10,000. Re-referred to House Rules on March 27, 2026.
• HB 5242: Would require seller registration with the Department of Public Health and batch lab certificates. Re-referred to House Rules on March 27, 2026.
• SB 3160 (Kratom Prohibition Act): Would ban buying, possessing, selling or distributing kratom, with Class B misdemeanor penalties. Re-referred to Senate Assignments on May 22, 2026.
• HB 3129 and HB 1303: Would, respectively, move mitragynine and 7-OH to Schedule III, or set a 21 and over age limit with a 5% retail tax.

Age limits, labeling and local bans

Statewide, the age limit is 18 and there are no kratom labeling rules. Cities can go further. Bloomington banned kratom possession and sale in January 2026, Minooka banned sales in March 2026, and Normal's sales ban took effect July 15, 2026. Monticello banned sales in September 2025.

Local penalties vary. WGLT reported Bloomington fines of $350 to $750, and Normal fines of $100 to $750 per day. Check your city or village code before assuming state law is the only rule.

Retailers face their own limits too. Our page on where 7oh.com ships and where it does not lists the Illinois localities on the restricted list.

What the federal DEA notices mean for Illinois

Federal scheduling would override Illinois' permissive rules. MGPI, MGM-15 and MGM-16 are already Schedule I nationwide. For 7-OH, the DEA has not issued an order; instead, it announced on October 9, 2026 that it will publish a new notice using updated HHS thresholds. Kratom leaf is not covered.

The timeline so far:

• July 6, 2026: DEA published a notice of intent to temporarily schedule 7-OH above a set threshold (91 FR 40917). It proposed more than 0.05% 7-OH by dry weight for plant material, and more than 0.05% or 1.00 mg per article for processed products.
• August 26, 2026: DEA placed MGPI, MGM-15 and MGM-16 in Schedule I by temporary order (91 FR 54948), effective that day and set to expire August 26, 2028.
• October 9, 2026: The Justice Department (release 26-1165) said no 7-OH order has been issued. A new notice for 7-OH and MGPI will apply Schedule I when either compound, or both combined, exceeds 1 mg per gram in solids or 1 mg per mL in liquids, or when the ratio of mitragynine to those compounds is below 100 to 1.

HHS said the thresholds target concentrated or chemically altered products, not natural botanical kratom. No effective date for a 7-OH order has been announced.

Where to check for updates

For state bills, check the Illinois General Assembly site (ilga.gov). For federal action, watch the Federal Register and DEA and Justice Department press pages. For local rules, check your municipal code.

We update this page within 24 hours of any DEA order or Illinois action. For a comparison with a state that has its own 7-OH limit, see our post on 7-OH law in Georgia.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is kratom illegal in Illinois?

Not statewide. Kratom is illegal for anyone under 18 under the Kratom Control Act, and some cities, including Bloomington, Normal and Minooka, ban sales locally. For adults elsewhere in the state, no Illinois law bans kratom leaf as of October 12, 2026.

What states is 7-OH banned in?

States that ban kratom outright, including Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Vermont and Wisconsin, also ban 7-OH. Others restrict only concentrated 7-OH, such as Florida, Ohio and Virginia. Illinois is in neither group as of October 12, 2026. State lists change often, so check the current statute.

What are the latest updates on the 7-OH ban?

On October 9, 2026, the Justice Department said the DEA will issue a new notice of intent for 7-OH and MGPI with 1 mg per gram, 1 mg per mL and 100 to 1 ratio thresholds. No federal 7-OH order exists yet. MGPI, MGM-15 and MGM-16 remain Schedule I.

Can an Illinois city ban kratom if the state allows it?

Illinois cities have done so. Bloomington, Normal, Minooka and Monticello passed local ordinances between September 2025 and July 2026. Those rules apply inside city limits even though state law only restricts minors.

Illinois sits at the permissive end of kratom law today, but a federal 7-OH order, a state bill or another local ordinance could change that. Check the dated status box above before relying on this page.