Oak Lawn, IL Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Livestock
- Banned village-wide, § 10-3A-4(A)
- Backyard poultry
- Unlawful for home use, § 10-3A-5
- Commercial poultry sales
- Allowed only in licensed stores
- Minimum commercial sale lot
- 6 birds per sale
Summary
Oak Lawn bans keeping livestock village-wide and makes it unlawful to raise poultry, including backyard chickens, for home use anywhere in the village.
It shall be unlawful to keep, sell, or offer for sale, barter, or give away live baby chicks, ducklings, goslings, pigeons, fowl or other poultry, domestic or otherwise in the village except in stores or other commercial establishments engaged in the business of selling baby chicks, ducklings, goslings, pigeons, fowl or other poultry for commercial purposes, and not less than six (6) of each of the aforementioned variety shall be sold to any one person 1 . It shall be unlawful to raise poultry for home or domestic purposes of any kind in the village. (Ord. 12-01-06)
Notes 1 1. See subsection 10-3A-1F of this article. 10-3A-6: DISEASED ANIMALS: No domestic animal afflicted with a contagious or infectious disease shall be allowed to run at large, or to be exposed in any public place whereby the health of man or beast may be affected; nor shall such diseased animal be shipped or removed from the premises of the owner thereof, except under the supervision of the health and sanitation officer or of the state veterinarian. No such diseased animals shall be brought into the village. The health and sanitation officer or animal control officer shall have the authority to humanely destroy any stray animal found running at large with symptoms of any contagious or infectious disease. (Ord. 12-01-06) 10-3A-7: BEEHIVES, REQUIREMENTS FOR MAINTAINING:
A. It shall be a misdemeanor and nuisance to own or maintain a beehive or hives within the corporate limits for commercial purposes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Code current through: Ord. 26-09-22, passed April 28, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Village Code § 10-3A-4(A) bans keeping swine, horses, cows, sheep, goats and similar livestock anywhere within the village. Section 10-3A-5 goes further on poultry: live chicks, ducklings, goslings and other fowl may only be kept by licensed commercial sellers, and "it shall be unlawful to raise poultry for home or domestic purposes of any kind in the village", no backyard-flock exception exists. Both sections predate a formal home rule citation but sit in the village's animal control chapter enacted under Ord. 12-01-06.
Violations & Fines
Violations are prosecuted as village ordinance offenses; animals kept in violation are subject to impoundment or removal, and each day of continued violation can be charged as a separate offense under the chapter's general penalty provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep backyard chickens in Oak Lawn?
Are horses, goats or other livestock allowed in Oak Lawn?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oak Lawn
How Oak Lawn compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Oak Lawn 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.
Chickens & Livestock in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle chickens & livestock.