Naperville, IL Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited acts
- Hunt, trap, poison, wound or kill wildlife
- Also barred
- Disturbing/robbing nests, dens, burrows
- Species covered
- Birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates
- Location
- Riverwalk Park only (§ 9-5-1)
- Adopted
- Ordinance 84-110, August 20, 1984
- Penalty
- $100-$500 per offense under § 1-4-2
Summary
In Naperville's Riverwalk Park it is unlawful to hunt, trap, poison, wound or kill any bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate, or to disturb or rob a nest, lair, den or burrow, under Municipal Code Section 9-5-1, subsection 5.3.
5.No person shall, in or upon Riverwalk Park:5.1.Cut, remove, uproot or wantonly destroy any tree, sapling, seedling, bush, shrub, flower or plant whether alive or dead or chip, blaze, box, girdle, trim or otherwise deface or injure any tree, shrub or bush, break or remove any branch or foliage thereof or pick or gather any seed of any tree or plant unless necessitated by the performance of restorative, maintenance or construction work pursuant to contract with the City.5.2.Remove or cause to be removed any sod, earth, humus, downed timber, wood chips, peat, rock, sand or gravel or remove or cause to be removed any other natural material of the forest floor or earth unless necessitated by the performance of restorative, maintenance, or construction work pursuant to contract with the City.5.3.Hunt, pursue, trap, catch, capture, molest, poison, wound or kill or attempt to hunt, trap, catch, capture, molest, poison, wound or kill any invertebrate animal, mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian; disturb, molest or rob the nest of any mammal, bird, insect, reptile or amphibian or the lair, den or burrow of any mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian. (Ord. 84-110, 8-20-84)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 101).
Full Breakdown
2 bars removing sod, earth, rock, sand or other natural forest-floor material under the same maintenance-work exception. Read together, the three clauses protect the Riverwalk's living landscape, its wildlife, and its ground materials as a package, with City-authorized restoration crews the only carved-out exception. The ordinance traces to Ordinance 84-110, adopted August 20, 1984, and has not been separately amended in this Section since. Because Chapter 5 states no dedicated fine for a Section 9-5-1 violation, enforcement of the wildlife clause runs through the City's general penalty in Section 1-4-2.
Violations & Fines
Hunting, trapping, poisoning or killing wildlife, or disturbing a nest, den or burrow, in Riverwalk Park violates Section 9-5-1, subsection 5.3. With no dedicated fine in Chapter 5, enforcement falls under the City's general penalty, Section 1-4-2: $100 to $500 per offense, with each incident charged separately. Naperville Police and Park Ranger staff who patrol the Riverwalk can cite violators on the spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to disturb geese or ducks in Naperville's Riverwalk Park?
Can maintenance crews remove a nest during Riverwalk construction work?
What animals does Naperville's Riverwalk protection rule cover?
What's the penalty for harming wildlife in Naperville's Riverwalk Park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Naperville
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