Elgin, IL Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

10 of the Elgin Municipal Code regulates honeybee keeping through the community development director. Sec. 020 caps hive counts by lot size: two hives on lots under a quarter acre, four hives on lots a quarter acre or larger, and up to eight hives on a lot in the community facility zoning district larger than one acre. Sec. 040 bans hives on any lot with a multifamily dwelling, requiring them instead on a rooftop or in a rear yard set back at least twenty-five feet from any occupied residence other than the beekeeper's own and at least ten feet from adjoining property lines.

Sec. 050 requires a flyway barrier, a solid fence or six-foot dense vegetation, for any hive within twenty feet of a property line. Sec. 030 obligates the beekeeper to keep a water source, such as a floating-object tub or a dripping faucet, within ten feet of the hive so bees don't stray onto neighboring property in search of water. Beyond the local rules, Sec. ) and to be kept in inspectable hives with removable combs, with the beekeeper's state registration number posted in the apiary.

Sec. 080 makes a city beekeeping permit mandatory before acquiring bees, following the application, survey and fee process in Sec. 090. Sec. 070 requires a 'Bees on Premises' sign at walkway or gate entrances (except for rooftop hives) and declares abandoned, diseased, unregistered, or uninspectable colonies a nuisance.