Tazewell County, IL Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Ag use exemption
- Exempt from Ch. 157 except setbacks
- District
- A-1 Agricultural Preservation
- A-1 minimum lot size
- 40 acres (§ 157.088)
- Purpose
- Discourages non-farm home sites in A-1
- Max fine
- $500 per week of violation
Summary
Tazewell County exempts agricultural buildings, structures, and land from most zoning requirements and maintains a dedicated A-1 Agricultural Preservation District meant to keep farmland in farming and keep non-farm development out.
Buildings, structures, or land used or to be used specifically for agriculture, as herein defined, are exempt from the requirements of this chapter, except that such buildings or structures must comply with the applicable setback requirements. ... The A-1 Zoning District is established to benefit and protect agricultural uses throughout the county. The intent of the Agriculture Preservation District is to protect those areas which are best suited to the pursuit of agriculture in order to ensure that agriculture will continue to be maintained as a long term land use and a viable economic activity within the county. Non-farm uses, such as residential home sites on smaller tracts of land, are discouraged from locating in the A-1 District in order to minimize potential incompatibilities or restrict the growth of existing agricultural operations.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-7: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. LU-21-12, passed 9-29-2021; and Res. LU-26-09, passed 7-29-2026).
Full Breakdown
039 of the county's zoning chapter provides that buildings, structures, or land used for agriculture are exempt from the requirements of Chapter 157, with one carve-out: agricultural buildings and structures must still comply with the applicable setback requirements. 085 sets out the purpose of the A-1 Agricultural Preservation District, stating that it is established to benefit and protect agricultural uses throughout the county and to protect areas best suited to agriculture so that farming continues as a long-term land use and a viable economic activity.
The same section states that non-farm uses, such as residential home sites on smaller tracts, are discouraged from locating in the A-1 District specifically to minimize incompatibilities and to avoid restricting the growth of existing agricultural operations. 088. Together these provisions function as the county's local right-to-farm protection: they keep the zoning code from imposing ordinary development standards on working farms while steering residential growth away from the county's most productive agricultural ground.
Violations & Fines
Because agricultural use itself is exempt under § 157.039, there is no zoning penalty for farming as such. A structure built on agricultural land that fails to meet the applicable setback requirement, or a non-agricultural use established in the A-1 District without the required special use approval, is a violation under § 157.999, punishable by a fine of up to $500 per offense, with each week of continued violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tazewell County's zoning code apply to farm buildings?
What is the purpose of the A-1 District?
How big does a lot need to be in the A-1 District?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tazewell County
Compare Tazewell County to another location·View the Illinois right to farm overview
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