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Fire Protection District Board Trustee — Your local fire protection district within DuPage County

Filing Fee: No filing fee Term: 6-year terms — no term limits Seats: 3-member board (some districts have 5), typically 1 seat up per election cycle Election: April 6, 2027

First confirm whether your area has a fire protection district with an elected board. If your fire service comes from a city or village, there may not be a separate board to run for. Call the DuPage County Clerk at (630) 407-5600 to check.

Many areas of DuPage 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: Many larger municipalities (Naperville, Wheaton, Downers Grove, etc.) run their own municipal fire departments under the city government — in those areas, there is no separate elected fire protection district board to run for.

✓ 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 DuPage County Clerk at (630) 407-5600.
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 around August 24, 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 16–23, 2026).
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 24, 2026
Filing window (estimated) ~November 16–23, 2026
Election day April 6, 2027

📍 Where to File

The secretary of your specific fire protection district board. Contact your district directly.

🔗 Helpful Links

DuPage 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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