Lake County, IL Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- unincorporated Lake County only
- Glazing threshold
- 80% of facade must be bird-friendly
- Height covered
- ground level to 100 feet
- Standard used
- ABC Material Threat Factor ≤ 30
- Enforced by
- Planning, Building and Development Dept.
Summary
Unincorporated Lake County requires new non-residential buildings to use bird-friendly glass on most of their exterior facade to cut bird collisions.
2410.2 New non-residential facade requirements. For new build non-residential properties, at least eighty percent of all glass on each exterior facade from the ground level to one hundred feet, including but not limited to glass surrounding a green roof or landscaped area, shall be bird-friendly glass.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 26-0618, passed 6-9-2026 | State legislation current through ILCS Pamphlet 2025 #5).
Full Breakdown
Lake County's 2024 IBC amendments add Section 2410, Bird-Friendly Glazing, for unincorporated Lake County. New non-residential buildings, and new non-residential Planned Unit Developments, must make at least 80% of all glass on each exterior facade from ground level to 100 feet bird-friendly glass, meaning glass with a Material Threat Factor Rating of 30 or less under American Bird Conservancy standards, or glass otherwise obstructed, screened, or low-reflectivity. PUD design must also account for nearby bird habitat and known migration paths. The rule is enforced by the Planning, Building and Development Department as part of building permit review; it does not reach Waukegan, Highland Park, Gurnee, Libertyville or the county's many other home-rule and non-home-rule municipalities, which administer their own building codes.
Violations & Fines
Non-compliant facade glazing blocks building permit issuance and final inspection sign-off by the Planning, Building and Development Department; it is enforced as a building code violation, not a separate fine schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the bird-friendly glass rule apply inside Waukegan or Highland Park?
Does the rule cover single-family homes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake County
Compare Lake County to another location·View the Illinois animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.