This notion stems from an old urban myth often linked to Pennsylvania, not Illinois, where lists of “dumb laws” circulate online without verified statutes. Actual Illinois laws address abandoned refrigerators to prevent child entrapment by requiring door removal, but nothing targets sleeping atop them.​​
Backyard Rules
On private property like your own backyard, sleeping outdoors generally faces no statewide prohibition in Illinois. Local ordinances may restrict public sleeping or camping, but homeowners can typically sleep in their yard, such as in a tent, without issue unless it violates zoning or nuisance codes. No specific refrigerator-related ban applies.​
SOURCES
[1](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/113uc4/in_my_state_it_is_illegal_to_sleep_on_top_of_a/)
[2](https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/is-putting-locks-on-fridge-or-freezers-at-night-be-5422811.html)
[3](https://www.businessinsider.com/weird-state-laws-across-america-2018-1)
[4](https://gracelegalgroup.com/criminal-laws/penal-code/402b/)
[5](https://blackmanvoice.net/2023/10/23/weird-laws-in-america/)
