The city of Elgin, IL, just approved chickens!
Todd Martin made the proposal, and here is his report:
“At tonight’s City of Elgin’s Sustainability Commission meeting, my proposal to allow backyard chickens has been approved. The next step is to meet with Elgin’s planning department for crafting the ordinance, then the Planning Commission, then the City Council. Lots of steps and community involvement along the way. If you have any questions, look at West Dundee’s licensing program; we will be modeling ours on theirs.”
Home to Roost 
Posted by Katie W on February 23, 2012 at 10:52 am
Fantastic News!!!!
Posted by ryan on March 31, 2012 at 9:21 am
So this means that chickens are legal to have now? That’s awesome news!
Posted by marilyn on April 17, 2012 at 12:58 pm
This is great news. We cant wait!
Posted by Kim on April 28, 2012 at 11:27 am
So should I hold off on purchasing chickens? Will a license be required? I’m such a rule follower. Who can I contact for more information?
Posted by chickenwoman on April 30, 2012 at 11:08 am
They are drafting the ordinance, so I’d suggest you contact Village Hall directly and see what the status is. Most cities have their legal code posted on line, so when the law is in effect you can find it on the web.
Posted by Kim W on May 15, 2012 at 3:29 pm
Bad news people. I left a message this morning and got a voicemail this afternoon saying that they are no longer pursuing a chicken ordinance in Elgin. I am going to do some research and see what can be done, if anyone has any info or wants to help let me know!
Posted by chickenwoman on May 15, 2012 at 5:45 pm
Oh, that’s too bad! Let us know what you find out.
Posted by Natalie on May 19, 2012 at 9:24 pm
We need backyard chickens in Elgin. Where do we go from here?
Posted by chickenwoman on May 31, 2012 at 10:34 pm
If you like, you can follow the Arlington Heights folks. I will send you two contacts offline. See the tab Legalizing Chickens: Resources (https://urbanchickenconsultant.wordpress.com/legalizing-chickens-resources/), too.
Posted by Shaun on February 14, 2013 at 1:55 pm
Hi!
I’m new to Elgin and previously raised 4 wonderful chickens back home in Seattle. I was excited to see the effort to allow chickens to be raised in Elgin. Are there any plans to revive the effort or pursue the ordinance further?
Posted by chickenwoman on February 14, 2013 at 6:19 pm
Shaun –
I’m not sure. You might want to see if anyone on the Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts Google Group knows anything about Elgin.
Cheers,
Jen
Posted by Marionberry on December 27, 2013 at 12:26 am
Hello, is there any new news about chickens in Elgin? We are moving there and would like to keep chickens in the future.
Posted by chickenwoman on January 7, 2014 at 10:30 am
The last news I heard was my post https://urbanchickenconsultant.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/chickens-approved-in-elgin/.
Posted by Shaun on January 7, 2014 at 11:23 am
FYI-Chicken ordinance did not get passed in Elgin.
Posted by chickenwoman on January 7, 2014 at 11:25 am
Apologies for the misinformation. Thanks, Shaun. I thought I had that from a reliable source.
Posted by Shaun on January 7, 2014 at 11:32 am
Yeah the plan was approved but the city never agreed on an actual ordinance.
Posted by Tia Marie Aagesen on March 23, 2014 at 9:33 pm
Hey Everyone! I’m meeting with the Elgin Sustainability Commission this April 8th, 2014 to discuss changing the ordinance. Please follow me on facebook, http://www.facebook.com/elginpolloshermanas for more information!
Posted by chickenwoman on March 23, 2014 at 10:26 pm
Good luck, and check out my page https://urbanchickenconsultant.wordpress.com/legalizing-chickens-resources/. Also I can serve as an expert or as an advisor for drafting an ordinance.
Posted by Dave on June 12, 2014 at 3:36 pm
you can have chickens in Bartlett so why not in elgin im starting to hate living here I have been here for 47 years maybe its time to get out