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Fire Protection District Board Trustee — Your local fire protection district within Cook County (outside Chicago city limits)

Filing Fee: No filing fee Term: 6-year terms — no term limits Seats: 3-member board typical — usually 1 seat up per election cycle Election: April 6, 2027

First confirm whether your area has an independent fire protection district with an elected board. If your fire service comes from a city, village, or township fire department, there may be no separate board to run for. Call the Cook County Clerk at (312) 603-0900 to verify.

Many areas of suburban Cook County are served by independent fire protection districts — separate government bodies with elected boards of trustees. The board approves the district's budget, sets the property tax levy, and oversees the fire department's operations, equipment, and staffing. NOTE: Chicago Fire Department and many large suburban municipal fire departments (Evanston, Oak Park, Skokie, etc.) are run by city government — in those areas, there is no separate elected fire protection district board to run for. This page is for areas with a standalone fire protection district.

✓ Who Can Run

Be at least 18 years old
Be a U.S. citizen and a registered voter in your fire protection district
Reside within the fire protection district

📋 What You Need to File

Confirm your fire protection district by calling the Cook County Clerk at (312) 603-0900.
Contact the fire district's board secretary to get the official petition packet. The maximum you will ever need is 25 signatures from registered voters in your district — often fewer.
Starting approximately August 2026, collect your signatures.
File your notarized Statement of Candidacy and petition papers with the fire district's board secretary during the filing window (estimated November 2026 — confirm exact dates with your district).
File a Statement of Economic Interests.
Register a political committee with the Illinois State Board of Elections only if you raise or spend more than $5,000.

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📅 Key Deadlines

Petition circulation begins (estimated) ~August 2026
Filing window (estimated) ~November 2026
Election day April 6, 2027

📍 Where to File

The secretary of your specific fire protection district board. Cook County Clerk (69 W. Washington St., Chicago | (312) 603-0900 | cookcountyclerkil.gov) can help identify your district.

🔗 Helpful Links

Cook County Clerk — Candidate Information → Fire Protection District Act (70 ILCS 705/) → Illinois State Board of Elections — Running for Office →

Last updated: 2026-04-18

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