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.
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.
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.
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