Champaign County, IL Right to Farm: Farm Nuisance Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Exemption scope
- all lawful agricultural activities & structures
- One carve-out
- outdoor inoperable farm vehicle storage
- Codified with
- Appendix C, Right to Farm Resolution 3425
- First-conviction fine (non-exempt)
- $100 to $500
- Subsequent-conviction fine
- $200 to $500
- Geographic reach
- unincorporated Champaign County only
Summary
Champaign County's Public Nuisance Ordinance exempts lawful farming outright: Section 3.3.A declares that 'all lawful agricultural activities, appurtenances and structures' are not public nuisances, with one carve-out for outdoor storage of inoperable farm vehicles. Tied to Appendix C's Right to Farm Resolution, the exemption means routine dust, odor and noise from farming in the unincorporated county cannot trigger a nuisance citation.
A. All lawful agricultural activities, appurtenances and structures except the outdoor storage of INOPERABLE FARM VEHICLES [Appendix C].
Full Breakdown
' The bracketed cross-reference points to Appendix C, titled 'A Resolution Pertaining to the Right to Farm in Champaign County,' County Resolution 3425, which the County Board attached to the ordinance to codify the exemption's policy basis. The protection is broad by design: it covers activities, appurtenances (accessory features like grain bins, manure storage or irrigation equipment) and structures used in farming, not just crop and livestock production itself. 3G. Because the exemption sits inside the Public Nuisance Ordinance rather than the Zoning Ordinance, it applies wherever that ordinance applies: the unincorporated area of Champaign County outside the City of Champaign, the City of Urbana and every other incorporated municipality, each of which enforces its own separate nuisance rules.
Violations & Fines
Because Section 3.3.A removes lawful agricultural activity from the nuisance definition, a farm operator conducting normal farming cannot be charged under Section 3.1. Activities that fall outside the exemption, such as excess inoperable farm vehicle storage beyond the six-vehicle, 100-foot allowance, can still be cited as a public nuisance; Section 6.1 makes each day of an uncorrected violation a separate offense, and a court-adjudicated violation carries a fine of $100 to $500 for a first conviction and $200 to $500 for each later conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Champaign County's nuisance ordinance apply to normal farm noise, dust or odor?
Is there any limit on the right-to-farm exemption?
What is Appendix C referenced in Section 3.3.A?
What happens if a nuisance complaint doesn't qualify for the farm exemption?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Champaign County
Compare Champaign County to another location·View the Illinois right to farm overview
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