DuPage County, IL Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- State Registration
- 510 ILCS 20/2 annual registration required
- Registration Scope
- Applies to every single colony
- Registration Fee
- No fee to register with IDOA
- Certificate
- Beekeepers receive registration number
- IDOA Inspection
- May inspect and require number displayed
- Local Rules
- Check municipality for additional rules
Summary
Beekeeping in DuPage County is governed primarily by the Illinois Bees and Apiaries Act. Every person keeping one or more colonies of bees in DuPage County must register annually with the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA). Registration is free and provides a registration number for each apiary the beekeeper controls.
Every person keeping one or more colonies of bees shall register with the Department annually. All bees, colonies, or items of bee equipment, where bee diseases, bee parasites or exotic strains of bees exist...are declared to be nuisances to be regulated as prescribed by the Department. No person shall transport a colony of bees or items of used bee equipment between counties within this State without a permit or compliance agreement.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
The Illinois Bees and Apiaries Act, codified at 510 ILCS 20, is the primary law governing beekeeping in DuPage County. Section 2 of the Act (510 ILCS 20/2) states that every person keeping one or more colonies of bees shall register with the Department of Agriculture annually. Registration is completed by submitting a signed form to the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA). The IDOA states on its public website that there is no charge for registering honeybee colonies, and registrants receive a registration certificate including a registration number.
The Act authorizes the IDOA to inspect honeybee colonies for disease and to require the registration number be prominently displayed within each apiary the registrant controls. This statewide framework applies to beekeepers throughout DuPage County, including in unincorporated areas. DuPage County itself has no separately verifiable countywide beekeeping ordinance beyond the state Act; individual municipalities within DuPage may add their own zoning restrictions on hive placement, setbacks, or numbers, so beekeepers should also check with their city or village.
Violations & Fines
Failure to register colonies with IDOA is a violation of the Bees and Apiaries Act. The Department may refuse to issue or may revoke certificates, and beekeepers who do not comply with inspection or registration requirements may be subject to enforcement action under the Act. Diseased colonies may be ordered destroyed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to register my bees if I live in DuPage County?
Does DuPage County have its own beekeeping ordinance?
How do I register my honeybee colonies in Illinois?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DuPage County
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