Animal Ordinances in Springfield, IL (2026)
11 verified animal ordinances for Springfield, Illinois, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Springfield permits backyard chickens in residential zones subject to zoning approval, with hens kept in the rear yard and properly enclosed; roosters are discouraged as a noise nuisance. Springfield Municipal Code Chapter 96 bars keeping livestock or poultry in the Lake Springfield 'Zone E' watershed and prohibits animals from running at large or being washed or watered in the reservoir.
Chickens allowed by zone; livestock restricted near Lake Springfield
Some RestrictionsSpringfield Municipal Code Chapter 96 (Lake Springfield - watershed zones)
No livestock or poultry shall be kept in zone E. No domestic livestock or poultry shall be permitted to run at large in zone E.
Dog Leash Laws
Springfield requires every dog to be under restraint at all times, meaning leashed, confined to a fenced yard, or tethered so it cannot reach the property line. It is a strict-liability offense: intent doesn't matter, and the fine climbs on repeat violations.
Springfield Dogs Must Be Under Restraint
Some RestrictionsSpringfield, IL Code of Ordinances § 91.15(a)-(d) (Restraint of dogs and other animals)
§ 91.15. - Restraint of dogs and other animals. (a)The owner or keeper of a dog or other animal shall keep the dog or other animal under restraint as defined in this chapter, at all times.(b)Any person convicted of violating this section shall be fined $75 for first violation and $150 for each violation thereafter.(c)Any dog used for law enforcement or rescue purposes shall be exempt from this ...
Breed Restrictions
Springfield has no breed-specific dog ban, and it could not lawfully adopt one. The Illinois Animal Control Act expressly prohibits any local regulation, policy, or ordinance from being specific to breed (510 ILCS 5/24), and provides that vicious dogs may not be classified in a manner specific as to breed (510 ILCS 5/15). Dangerous-dog control in Springfield is based on an individual dog's behavior, not its breed.
Breed bans prohibited; state law preempts breed-specific rules
Few Restrictions510 ILCS 5/24 (Illinois Animal Control Act - home rule; no breed-specific regulation)
Nothing in this Act shall prohibit a municipality or political subdivision of the State from prohibiting dogs from running at large, nor shall anything in this Act prevent a municipality or political subdivision of the State from further controlling and regulating dogs, ... provided that no regulation, policy, or ordinance is specific to breed.
Beekeeping
Springfield allows backyard beekeeping, but Sec. 91.26 caps colonies at four hives on lots under 10,000 square feet, requires hives to sit at least five feet from property lines, streets, sidewalks or alleys (unless shielded by a four-foot fence or hedge), and demands state registration and movable-frame equipment so a colony can't become a public nuisance.
Springfield Beekeeping & Apiary Rules
Some RestrictionsSpringfield, IL Code of Ordinances Sec. 91.26(b) (Ord. No. 219-6-12, § 1, 6-19-12)
(b)No person shall maintain any colony of honey bees, including honey bees, comb, honey, pollen and brood, anywhere in the city without complying with the following requirements:...(2)Honey bee colonies shall, in addition, be maintained in the following condition:(i)All honey bee hives shall be registered with the state department of agriculture as required by state law.(ii)Colonies shall be ma...
Pet Limits
No Springfield-specific ordinance sets a fixed maximum number of dogs or cats per household; the city's Chapter 91 focuses on restraint, nuisance, and rabies rather than a numerical pet cap. Every dog and cat four months or older must be registered and rabies-vaccinated through the Sangamon County Department of Public Health under the Illinois Animal Control Act (510 ILCS 5/8).
No numeric dog or cat cap; rabies registration required
Few Restrictions510 ILCS 5/8 (Illinois Animal Control Act - Rabies inoculation)
Every owner of a dog 4 months or more of age shall have each dog inoculated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian.
Cat Rules
Springfield does not license cats or cap how many you can own, but every cat must wear a collar or harness with an ID tag, and city pet stores are barred from selling cats or dogs at retail at all.
Springfield Cat Identification and Pet Store Sale Ban
Some RestrictionsSpringfield, IL Code of Ordinances § 91.05, § 91.27(a)-(b) (Identification; Restrictions on the sale of animals; Ord. No. 413-10-19)
§ 91.05. - Identification. Every owner or keeper of a dog or cat, regardless of the animal's age, shall cause the animal to wear a collar or harness and shall affix thereto a metallic or other suitable tag inscribed with the name, address, and telephone number, if any, of the owner or keeper of the dog or cat. § 91.27. - Restrictions on the sale of animals. (a)No pet store shall sell, deliver, ...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Springfield has no general spay/neuter mandate for pet dogs and cats, but City Code Sec. 91.19(g) forces the issue once a dog is adjudicated vicious: within ten days of that finding, the owner must have the dog spayed or neutered, at the owner's own expense, and microchipped. Animal control enforces the mandate alongside the confinement rules that come with a vicious-dog finding.
Springfield Vicious Dog Spay-Neuter Mandate
Some RestrictionsSpringfield, IL Code of Ordinances Sec. 91.19(g) (Ord. No. 528-9-99, § 1(Exh. A), 9-21-99; Ord. No. 585-10-03, § 1(Exh. 1), 10-21-03; Ord. No. 627-09-08, § 1, 9-16-08)
(g)If a dog is found to be a vicious dog, the dog shall be spayed or neutered within ten days of the finding at the expense of its owner and microchipped.
Pet Store Rules
Springfield bans retail pet stores from selling cats and dogs outright under Sec. 91.27, adopted in 2019. Stores may only host adoption showcases for animal care facilities or rescue organizations, without taking an ownership interest or a fee for the space, and each animal sold in violation is a separate $500 offense.
Springfield Pet Store Cat/Dog Sale Ban
Heavy RestrictionsSpringfield, IL Code of Ordinances Sec. 91.27 (Ord. No. 413-10-19, § 1(Exh. A), 10-1-19)
(a)No pet store shall sell, deliver, for for sale, barter, auction, give away, or otherwise transfer or dispose of cats or dogs. Nothing in this section shall prohibit pet stores from collaborating with animal care facilities or animal rescue organizations to offer space for such entities to showcase adoptable dogs or cats provided the pet store shall not have any ownership interest in the anim...
Pet Groomer Rules
Pet grooming and animal training businesses are a permitted use by right in Springfield's S-2 Community Shopping and Office District under City Code Sec. 155.031(b)(2). No conditional use permit or special hearing is required to open one in an S-2-zoned building; the operator only needs a standard building permit and business license before opening.
Springfield Pet Groomers: Permitted S-2 Zoning Use
Few RestrictionsSpringfield, IL Code of Ordinances Sec. 155.031(b)(2) (S-2 Community Shopping and Office District, permitted uses)
(b)Permitted uses in the S-2 community shopping and office district are:(1)All uses permitted in S-1 neighborhood commercial and office district.(2)Retail stores and personal service establishments providing for a wide variety of consumer needs and serving a community-wide area, including: Animal training, grooming.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Animal hospitals, including boarding or breeding, are a permitted use in Springfield's B-2 General Business Service District under City Code Sec. 155.034(b)(1). A veterinary clinic can open there by right, with only a standard building permit and business license, no conditional use hearing required.
Springfield Veterinary Clinics: B-2 Zoning Use
Few RestrictionsSpringfield, IL Code of Ordinances Sec. 155.034(b)(1) (B-2 General Business Service District, permitted uses)
(b)Permitted uses in the B-2 general business service district are:(1)Retail or service establishments, including:... Animal hospitals, including boarding or breeding. Animal pounds and kennels.
Bird Protection
On the Lake Springfield watershed, § 96.034 makes it unlawful to trap, catch, kill, wound, or molest any bird, including taking eggs or robbing nests, across zones A through E, the reservoir, its 200-foot shoreline buffer, and roughly a quarter mile of surrounding city-owned land. Firearms are also banned in those zones except for police officers, though the general manager of public utilities can authorize pest control.
Springfield Bans Harming Birds at Lake Springfield
Heavy RestrictionsSpringfield, IL City Code Sec. 96.034 (Hunting; Firearms)
No person shall trap, catch, or kill or wound, or attempt to trap, catch, kill, or wound any bird or animal, or take any bird egg or molest or rob any nest of any bird or animal or cruelly treat any bird or animal in zones A, B, C, D, or E. No person shall fire or discharge any firearm of any description within the limits of zones A, B, C, D, or E except police officers in the performance of th...
Looking for Sangamon County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Springfield city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Sangamon County →