Illinois solar and wind ordinances by county
20 counties with figures quoted from their own ordinances. Plus the state law that applies.
Updated October 2026
Counties
Solar figures as each county's ordinance states them. Open a county for wind and battery storage rules, conditions, and the sentence each figure comes from.
| County | Rules read | Property line | Homes | Max height | Min lot | Moratorium or ban |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County | Solar | 50 ftBoundary Lines of Nonparticipating Property | 150 ftOccupied Community Buildings and Dwellings on Nonparticipating Properties | 20 ftat full tilt | n/a | None on file |
| Cass County | Solar, Wind | 50 ftproperty that is not a part of the special use permit application | 150 ftnot part of the Special Use permit | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Ford County | Solar | 50 ftnonparticipating property | 150 ft | 20 ft | 20 acres | None on file |
| Iroquois County | Solar | 50 ftnonparticipating property | 150 ftnonparticipating properties | 20 ftsolar panel component at full tilt | n/a | None on file |
| Jackson County | Solar | 50 ft | 150 ft | 20 ftabove the ground at full tilt | n/a | None on file |
| Jersey County | Solar | 50 ftBoundary lines of nonparticipating property | 150 ftOccupied community buildings and dwellings on nonparticipating properties | 20 ftabove the ground at full tilt | 20 acres | None on file |
| Kane County | Solar, Wind | 50 ft | 150 ftOccupied Community Buildings and Dwellings on Nonparticipating Properties | 20 ft | n/a | None on file |
| Marshall County | Solar, Wind | 50 ftBoundary Lines of Nonparticipating Property | n/a | 20 ft | n/a | None on file |
| Menard County | Solar | 50 ftNonparticipating Property | 150 ftOccupied Community Buildings and Dwellings on Nonparticipating Properties | 20 ft | n/a | None on file |
| Mercer County | Solar | n/a | 100 ftnon-residential area | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Montgomery County | Solar | 50 ftSolar Farm | 150 ftSolar Farm | 30 ftSolar Farm or Solar Garden | n/a | None on file |
| Ogle County | Solar | 50 ftNonparticipating Property | 150 ftOccupied Community Buildings and Dwellings on Nonparticipating Properties | 20 ftfull tilt | n/a | None on file |
| Peoria County | Solar | 50 ftnon-participating property | 150 ftoccupied dwelling on a non-participating property | 20 ftsolar energy facility's arrays at full tilt | n/a | None on file |
| Randolph County | Solar, Wind | 50 ft | 500 ft | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Rock Island County | Solar, Wind, Battery storage | 50 ftnonparticipating property | 150 ftoccupied community building or a dwelling on nonparticipating property | 20 ft | n/a | None on file |
| Tazewell County | Solar | 50 ftBoundary lines of Nonparticipating Property | 150 ftOccupied Community Buildings | 20 ftcommercial solar energy facility | n/a | None on file |
| Warren County | Solar, Wind | 20 ftside yard | 150 ftresidential zoned lot | 20 ft | 5 acresSFES | None on file |
| Washington County | Solar | 50 ftboundary lines of nonparticipating property | 150 ftoccupied community buildings and dwellings on nonparticipating properties | 20 ftat full tilt | n/a | None on file |
| White County | Solar | n/a | n/a | 30 ft | 5 acres | None on file |
| Woodford County | Solar, Wind | 50 ft | 500 ft | 18 ftmaximum tilt of the solar panel | n/a | None on file |
Every Illinois figure in one spreadsheet
157 figures from 23 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 3 of those places are not on this site. Plus Illinois state law.
Illinois state law
What state law says about local solar, wind and storage rules. Each statement links the law or official source it comes from.
Limits on local rules
Counties cannot ban commercial solar in agricultural or industrial zones and cannot set standards stricter than the state's.
55 ILCS 5/5-12020 (Public Act 102-1123). Source
Solar standards in state law
Counties may adopt these standards but nothing stricter.
| Homes (non-participating) | 150 ft |
| Schools, churches, community buildings | 150 ft |
| Property line (non-participating) | 50 ft |
| Public roads | 50 ft |
| Panel height at full tilt | 20 ft |
| Noise | IPCB limits |
55 ILCS 5/5-12020 (Public Act 102-1123). Source
Wind standards in state law
Counties may adopt these standards but nothing stricter.
| Homes (non-participating) | 2.1 × tip height |
| Schools, churches, community buildings | 2.1 × tip height |
| Property line (non-participating) | 1.1 × tip height |
| Public roads | 1.1 × tip height |
| Tip height | FAA no-hazard height |
| Noise | IPCB limits |
55 ILCS 5/5-12020 (Public Act 102-1123). Source
Battery storage standards in state law
Stand-alone storage over 1 MW, in counties with zoning. A county storage ordinance must use these as written.
| Homes and community buildings (non-participating) | 150 ft |
| Property line (non-participating) | 50 ft |
| Public roads | 50 ft |
| Fence height | 7 to 25 ft |
| Fire safety | NFPA 855, nothing stricter |
| Noise | IPCB limits |
Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (Public Act 104-0458). Source
Screen sites across Illinois
Basepoint checks each parcel against these rules along with grid, land and environmental data, and keeps the source for every figure.