Backyard Chickens in Glendale Heights, Illinois

Can you keep chickens in Glendale Heights?

Thinking about starting a backyard flock in Glendale Heights, Illinois? Unfortunately, the Village's zoning code currently prohibits keeping chickens, poultry, or other farm animals as an accessory residential use — so before you order chicks, it's worth understanding exactly what the ordinance says and what your options are.

Not straightforward

No. In the Village of Glendale Heights, keeping backyard chickens is not permitted in any residential zoning district. The Village's Zoning Code explicitly bans poultry-keeping as an accessory use to a home. Per the Glendale Heights Code of Ordinances, § 11-4-6(A)(4), "The keeping, caring and/or husbandry of farm animals, poultry, pigeons or livestock shall not be an allowed accessory use." Because chickens (and roosters) fall under "poultry," no permit, license, or exception exists that would allow a resident to keep hens or roosters on a typical single-family residential lot.

Read the ordinance ↗

The rules at a glance

Hens in city limits: Restricted
How many hens: Not Allowed
Roosters: No
Permit required: No
Permit cost: Not specified
Setback from property line: Not specified

Peggy knows Glendale Heights

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

Because the keeping of poultry is banned outright as an accessory use under § 11-4-6(A)(4) of the Zoning Code, there are no coop-size, setback, or sanitation rules published for backyard chicken keeping — the activity itself is prohibited before any structural rules would apply. Residents interested in poultry-keeping would need to pursue a zoning code text amendment through the Village Board/Plan Commission, similar to changes made in other Chicago-area suburbs.

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in Glendale Heights

🌡️ Climate

USDA Hardiness Zone 5b / Humid Continental Climate

Glendale Heights sits in USDA Hardiness Zone 5b, meaning winter lows can reach -15°F to -10°F. Summers are warm and humid, while winters are cold and snowy — a classic Chicago-suburb continental climate that would require cold-hardy breeds and well-insulated coops if chicken-keeping were ever legalized locally.

🦝 Who's after your hens

RaccoonHawkFoxOpossumCoyoteSkunk

Even though backyard chickens are not currently legal in Glendale Heights, the surrounding DuPage County landscape supports typical suburban Chicago-area predators such as raccoons, red-tailed hawks, red foxes, coyotes, opossums, and skunks — all of which pose risks to unprotected poultry in nearby communities that do permit flocks.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, Orpington, Australorp (cold-hardy dual-purpose breeds suited to Zone 5b winters, for informational purposes should local rules ever change)

Our package comes with two Rhode Island Reds – hardy in heat and cold, and friendly with kids.

Questions people ask about Glendale Heights

▸Can I keep backyard chickens in Glendale Heights, IL?

No. The Glendale Heights Zoning Code (§ 11-4-6(A)(4)) states that "the keeping, caring and/or husbandry of farm animals, poultry, pigeons or livestock shall not be an allowed accessory use" in the village, which covers chickens on residential properties.

▸Are roosters allowed if hens are not?

No. Since all poultry-keeping — including hens and roosters — is banned as an accessory residential use under the zoning code, roosters are not permitted either.

▸Is there a permit process to get an exception for chickens?

The current code contains no permit or special-use pathway for residential poultry-keeping; the prohibition in § 11-4-6(A)(4) applies village-wide to accessory uses in residential zoning districts.

▸What should I do if I want Glendale Heights to allow chickens?

Residents would need to petition the Village Board or Plan Commission for a zoning code text amendment, similar to processes other Chicago-area suburbs have used to legalize limited backyard flocks.

▸Does this ban apply to unincorporated DuPage County areas near Glendale Heights?

This ordinance record covers only the Village of Glendale Heights' municipal code; unincorporated DuPage County parcels may be subject to different county zoning rules and should be checked separately.

City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with Glendale Heights or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked September 26, 2026.