Madison County, IL Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

100(A) sets the residential beekeeping standard for unincorporated territory. In a Residential Zoning District, keeping honeybees is prohibited unless the beekeeper holds a special use permit, and even then a single permit tops out at three colonies. Hives cannot sit in the front yard setback, must stay at least 20 feet off the side and rear property lines, and need a six-foot flyway barrier of solid wall, fence, or dense vegetation so the bees clear it before leaving the lot. Beekeepers must register each colony with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, keep a hive in sound condition, supply a non-stagnant water source so bees do not congregate at a neighbor's, and store harvested comb in a sealed, bee-proof container.

A queen that produces an aggressive colony, one that stings without provocation or tends to swarm, must be replaced immediately with stock bred for gentleness. Bees that threaten a neighbor's safety or use of their property are declared a nuisance and grounds for removal of every hive on the offending premises. Madison County Code Enforcement officials and government health officials may inspect hive sites during regular business hours. In the 'A' Agricultural District the rule is looser: a lot between two and five acres whose principal use is a single-family home may keep up to five colonies as a permitted accessory use, without the special use permit required in residential zones.