Naperville, IL Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Setback
- 200 feet from neighbor's home
- Confinement
- Enclosed or tethered on owner's land
- Zoning
- Allowed citywide unless Title 6 restricts
- Permit
- Required for pen or enclosure
Summary
Naperville allows livestock citywide under its zoning code, but requires enclosures or secure tethering confined to the owner's property and a 200-foot buffer from any neighbor's occupied home.
Housing: All fowl and livestock shall be kept within a pen, coop, building or other enclosure sufficient in size and strength to confine such animals to the owner's property, except that livestock may be tethered securely to a fixed object outside the enclosure, but only if the animal is so confined to the owner's property. A permit shall be obtained from the City of Naperville prior to the construction, addition, or modification of any pen, coop, building or other enclosure used for the purposes of housing fowl or livestock.2.Zoning: Fowl and livestock may be kept in any area in the City except as otherwise provided by this Chapter or the City's Zoning Ordinance. [8]3.Restrictions:3.1.A maximum of eight (8) fowl shall be permitted on any property. Roosters shall be prohibited.3.2.No livestock shall be kept, housed, maintained, or pastured within a distance of two hundred (200) feet of any occupied residence other than that of the owner.
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
Naperville's Fowl and Livestock section lets residents keep livestock in any zoning district unless Title 6 restricts it, but the animals must stay inside a pen, coop, building, or other enclosure sufficient to confine them to the owner's property, or be tethered securely to a fixed object, as long as they never leave that property. No livestock may be kept, housed, or pastured within 200 feet of any occupied residence besides the owner's, and a building permit is required before constructing or modifying the housing. Owners must also keep the area clean and store feed in rodent-proof containers.
Violations & Fines
Pasturing or housing livestock within 200 feet of a neighbor's home, letting an animal roam off the owner's property, or building unpermitted housing is unlawful under the general $100-$500 Chapter 10-4 fine schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep livestock like goats or horses in Naperville?
Do I need a permit to build livestock housing?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Naperville
How Naperville compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Naperville to another location·View the Illinois animal ordinances overview
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