Bloomington, IL Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Banned (residential)
- wire mesh, barbed wire, electric fence
- Chain-link (residential)
- rear/side yard only, coated if visible
- Exempt districts
- Agricultural, Manufacturing, P-3 Airport
- Citywide barbed wire ban
- § 38-114
- Barbed wire removal notice
- 30 days (§ 38-115)
Summary
In the City of Bloomington, residential fences cannot be built of wire mesh, barbed wire, an electrically charged fence or sharp-edged toppers under Code § 44-910C(1); chain-link is allowed in a rear or side yard but must be coated black, green or a similar color if visible from the street.
C. Fence materials. (1) Residential district fences shall not be constructed of wire mesh, barbed wire, electrically charged fence, or topped with sharp-edged material. In residential districts, chain-link fence may be allowed in the rear or side yard. If viewable from the right-of-way, chain-link shall have a black, green, or other similar type coating to reduce visual impact. (2) In all districts, except in the Agricultural, Manufacturing and P-3 (Airport) Districts, fences shall not be constructed of chain link unless coated in black, green, or other similar color to reduce visual impact, wire mesh, barbed wire, electrically charged fence, or topped with sharp-edged materials.
Full Breakdown
Bloomington City Code § 44-910C bans specific fencing materials to keep residential yards from looking industrial and to cut injury risk. Subsection (1) prohibits wire mesh, barbed wire, an electrically charged fence, or any fence topped with sharp-edged material in residential districts; chain-link is not banned outright there, but is only allowed in a rear or side yard, and if it is visible from a right-of-way it needs a black, green or similarly muted coating to reduce visual impact. Subsection (2) extends the same coated-chain-link, wire-mesh, barbed-wire, electric-fence and sharp-edge bans to every other zoning district in the city except Agricultural, Manufacturing and the P-3 (Airport) District, which are exempt because of their industrial or agricultural character.
5 feet off the ground per § 44-909, regardless of material. The Director of Development Services can approve a restricted material anyway for a particular use under well-established standards or practices, and can condition that approval on removing the fence once the use it was tied to ends. Separately, City Code § 38-114 bans barbed wire fences and barriers citywide outright, and § 38-115 gives the City Manager authority to order existing barbed wire removed within 30 days of written notice.
Violations & Fines
Installing a banned material such as barbed wire, wire mesh, an electrically charged fence or an uncoated chain-link fence visible from the street, outside Agricultural, Manufacturing and P-3 districts, is a Code violation the Development Services Department can order corrected or removed. Existing barbed wire not removed within 30 days of a City Manager notice under § 38-115 carries its own fine of $5 to $25; other material violations fall under § 1-106's general penalty of $50 to $500 per day, each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a barbed wire fence around my Bloomington yard?
Is chain-link fencing allowed in a Bloomington subdivision?
Are electric fences allowed anywhere in the city?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bloomington
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