Berwyn, IL Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Rule
- No bees or beehives anywhere in the city
- Permit path
- None in Chapter 616
- Who is liable
- Keeper and anyone who permits hives on the premises
- Fine range
- $75 to $750 per violation, per day
- Adopted
- Ord. 07-55, passed 10-23-2007
Summary
In the City of Berwyn, Illinois, beekeeping is prohibited. No person can keep, harbor or maintain, or permit to be kept, any bees or beehives at any place or in or upon any premises or part thereof in the city, and the code offers no permit path or exception.
No person shall keep, harbor or maintain, or permit to be kept, harbored or maintained, any bees or beehives at any place or in or upon any premises or part thereof in the city.
Full Breakdown
Berwyn Code of Ordinances § 616.11 is a single-sentence ban. No person shall keep, harbor or maintain, or permit to be kept, harbored or maintained, any bees or beehives at any place or in or upon any premises or part thereof in the city. The reach is wide on three counts. It covers bees as well as hives, so an unoccupied hive is still caught. It covers permitting, so a property owner who lets a tenant, neighbor or beekeeper place hives on the lot is a violator alongside the person tending them. And it covers any place or premises or part thereof, which takes in rooftops, side yards, garages and commercial lots as well as backyards.
The section carries no acreage threshold, no distance-from-neighbor formula, no registration and no exception for hobby or commercial apiaries. Nothing in Chapter 616 creates a beekeeping license. By contrast, the same chapter does provide a licensing route for chickens under § 616.08(C), with a $10 per chicken per year fee, so the absence of any bee permit is a deliberate difference in treatment.
Because the ordinance was adopted by the City Council of Berwyn as part of Ord. 07-55, passed 10-23-2007, and has no later amendment note, the wording quoted above is the current text as printed in the code. Enforcement of Chapter 616 involves the Police Department, and § 616.99 sets the penalty. Anyone who wants bees in Berwyn has to seek a change to the ordinance from Council.
Violations & Fines
Section 616.99 sets a fine of no less than $75 and no more than $750 for each violation, and each day a violation exists is a separate violation. The fines, costs and fees are paid by the animal owner or the owner of the real property where the animal is or was kept, which puts a landlord who hosts hives on the hook. Penalties, fines, costs and fees not timely paid can become a lien against the real property following notice of the action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a hive in my Berwyn backyard?
Can I allow a beekeeper to place hives on my property?
Is there a permit or license for bees in Berwyn?
What is the penalty for keeping bees in Berwyn?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Berwyn
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Beekeeping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle beekeeping.