Will County, IL Right to Farm: Farm Nuisance Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- Unincorporated Will County only
- Effective
- October 1, 2012
- State authority
- 55 ILCS 5/5-12001 et seq.
- Not exempt
- Farm residence water/sewage facilities
- Not exempt
- Building permits still required
Summary
Will County's zoning ordinance exempts land used for agricultural purposes and farm buildings in unincorporated Will County from zoning regulations and permit requirements, letting established farms operate free of zoning-based restrictions except as state law limits.
The provisions of this zoning ordinance may not be exercised to impose regulations or required zoning permits with respect to land used for agricultural purposes or with respect to the erection, maintenance, repair, alteration, remodeling, or extension of buildings or structures used for agricultural purposes upon such land, except as provided in ILCS Ch. 55, Ch. 5, §§ 5-12001 et seq. In the event that land ceases to be used solely for agricultural purposes, then and only then do the provisions of this zoning ordinance apply.
(2) The agricultural zoning exemption stated in division (A)(1) of this section does not exempt agricultural uses, buildings and structures from complying with the Water Resource Ordinance or from obtaining building permits and complying with applicable building ordinances.
(3) A residence in connection with an agricultural use and the residence's water supply and sewage disposal facilities are not exempt and are subject to the regulations of this zoning ordinance.
(B) Public utility exemptions. The provisions of this zoning ordinance may not be exercised to impose regulations on any of the following:
(1) The type or location of any underground installations, poles, towers, wires, cables, conduits, vaults, laterals or other similar distributing equipment of a public utility as defined in the Public Utilities Act, if the public utility is subject to the Messages Tax Act, the Gas Revenue Tax Act or
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance No. 24-100, passed 4-18-2024 and Res. 23-387, passed 11-16-2023; and State legislation approved through 2024 Pamphlet #2).
Full Breakdown
Section 155-1.50(A)(1) bars the county from imposing zoning regulations or requiring zoning permits for land used for agricultural purposes, or for erecting, maintaining, repairing, altering or extending farm buildings on that land, per the state enabling law at 55 ILCS 5/5-12001 et seq. The exemption runs only in unincorporated Will County. Joliet, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Plainfield and Lockport enforce their own zoning codes and are not covered. It doesn't reach the county Water Resource Ordinance, building permits, or a farm residence's water supply and sewage disposal, which stay subject to zoning review. If land stops being used for agriculture, the zoning ordinance applies again.
Violations & Fines
There's no permit violation for genuine farm use, but building without permits for the exempt farm residence's water or sewage facilities, or continuing non-farm construction without zoning approval, triggers enforcement under § 155-17.20.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Will County zoning apply to my farm?
Are Joliet or Bolingbrook farms covered by this exemption?
Does the exemption cover my farmhouse?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Will County
Compare Will County to another location·View the Illinois right to farm overview
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