Downers Grove, IL Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

The DuPage County Board amended the County Zoning Ordinance (Code of Ordinances Ch. 37) in September 2020 to permit hens as an accessory use in residence districts in unincorporated areas of the county. Before that amendment, hens were effectively barred outside of large agricultural parcels (40,000 sq ft with 4-H registration, or 5+ acres zoned agricultural). The amendment, championed by Board Member Sheila Rutledge and the "DuPagers Organized For Henkeeping Reform" coalition, permits up to five hens (no roosters) on a residential lot.

Under the amended Article VII residence-district standards, the chicken coop must sit behind the front wall of the principal dwelling that is nearest the front lot line and must be no less than 25 feet from any side or rear lot line. The hens must be enclosed within both the coop and a fenced area. The owner must obtain a building permit for the coop and a zoning permit for the fence from the DuPage County Department of Building and Zoning at 630-407-6700. The rule applies only in unincorporated DuPage County — within incorporated municipalities (e.g., Naperville, Wheaton, Lombard, Downers Grove, Lisle), backyard-fowl rules are governed by that municipality's own zoning code.