Will County, IL Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Setback from R-zoned lots
- 250 feet
- Setback from dwellings/schools/churches
- 500 feet
- Permit needed in ag districts
- Special use permit
- Geographic reach
- Unincorporated Will County only
- Governing section
- Will County Code § 155-9.20
Summary
In unincorporated Will County, veterinary clinics and animal care/boarding facilities in agricultural and estate districts need a special use permit and must sit at least 250 feet from residential lots and 500 feet from dwellings, schools, or churches.
In all agricultural zoning districts, animal care/boarding facilities and veterinary clinics—including all buildings, enclosures and animal run/exercise areas—must be set back at least 250 feet from all R-zoned lots and at least 500 feet from any dwelling unit or community building such as, but not limited to, school, place of worship, or government office building. No setback is required from a dwelling unit located on the same lot as the subject animal services use.
(B) E-1 and E-2 districts. In E-1 and E-2 districts, animal care/boarding facilities and veterinary clinics—including all buildings, enclosures and animal run/exercise areas—must be set back at least 250 feet from all R-zoned lots and at least 500 feet from any dwelling unit or community building such as, but not limited to, school, place of worship, or government office building. No setback is required from a dwelling unit located on the same lot as the subject animal services use. (Ord. effective 10-1-2012; Ord. 21-233, passed 7-15-2021)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance No. 24-100, passed 4-18-2024 and Res. 23-387, passed 11-16-2023; and State legislation approved through 2024 Pamphlet #2).
Full Breakdown
Will County Code § 155-9.20 governs animal care/boarding facilities and veterinary clinics in the A-1, A-2, E-1 and E-2 zoning districts, where the county's use table lists these uses as allowed only by special use permit. Every building, enclosure, and animal run or exercise area on the site must be set back at least 250 feet from any R-zoned lot and at least 500 feet from a dwelling unit, school, place of worship, or government office building, though no setback applies to a dwelling on the same lot as the clinic. This applies only to unincorporated Will County; Joliet, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Plainfield, and Lockport enforce their own separate zoning codes for veterinary and animal-boarding uses inside city limits.
Violations & Fines
Operating a veterinary clinic or animal care/boarding facility without an approved special use permit, or building closer than the required 250-foot or 500-foot setbacks, is a zoning violation enforceable by the county's Land Use Department through citation, stop-work order, or injunction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a veterinary clinic on agricultural land in Will County?
Do these setback rules apply inside Joliet or Bolingbrook?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Will County
Compare Will 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.