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Landscaping Rules in Rock Island County, IL (2026)

2 rules for unincorporated Rock Island County, Illinois.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Rock Island County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Weed Ordinances

Unincorporated Rock Island County caps weeds and grass at ten inches on parcels of two acres or less, and requires a mowed 50-foot buffer along the property line on larger lots that adjoin a home or business. Violators face a $100 fine for a first offense and $200 for repeats.

Rock Island County 10-Inch Weed Height Limit

Some Restrictions

Rock Island County Code of Ordinances § 90.34

It shall be unlawful for any owner or occupant of a property to permit weeds, grass, or other plant growth to grow to a height exceeding ten inches on a parcel of property of two acres or less in size. For any property exceeding two acres in size that adjoins on any side a parcel containing a residential or business structure, weeds or grass shall not exceed ten inches in height for a lateral d...

Composting

Unincorporated Rock Island County requires no permit to run a backyard compost pile. Section 52.21 of the county's accumulation-of-garbage-and-debris ordinance expressly excludes "properly created and utilized compost or other fertilizer" from the definition of GARBAGE, so a working pile cannot be treated as an illegal accumulation. A neglected, smelly, or pest-infested pile can still be pursued separately as a health nuisance.

Rock Island County Backyard Composting Rule

Light Restrictions

Rock Island County Code of Ordinances § 52.21

GARBAGE. Any organic or biological substance other than: (1) Living plants or animals; (2) Properly created and utilized compost or other fertilizer; or (3) A discrete building, structure, work of art, decoration, landscape feature, or other construction or a material incorporated into any of the same.

All Rock Island County ordinances

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