chickenlaws.html

What follows are laws from various US cities (and some Canada) regarding the keeping of chickens. You can find more details by looking up the City Codes of your town or city on-line, as most towns and cities have their codes on-line nowadays.

Send in the laws from your town if you find them! I hope you find that chickens are allowed where you live! Good luck!

(Oh, and also...here's a funny YouTube video of what you can run into when you're trying to research the chicken laws in your city.)

TheCityChicken.com table of contents:
MAIN PAGE   (chickens.html)
CHICKEN TRACTOR GALLERY   (tractors.html)
PICTORIAL HISTORY   (pictorialhistory.html)
F.A.Q.        (frequentlyasked.html)
ARTICLES      (articles.html)
CHICKEN LAWS    (chickenlaws.html)
BROODING CHICKS    (broodchicks.html)
HEN HOUSE of the MONTH     (hhotm.html)

Homewood, AL. A new stronger anti-chicken ordinance passed in March 2008. Any public nuisance that unreasonably annoys human beings, unsanitary conditions, offensive cackle, cruelty, etc is grounds for non-compliance. Unlawful for fowl in the city limits unless they are 300 feet from residences/buildings, and more than 100 feet from road.
Huntsville, AL. Fowl must be kept 150 ft. from neighboring residences, which of course is impossible on your typical city lot.

Fayettville, AR. Just passed a chicken ordinance in 2008. No more than four hens, no roosters, not closer than 25 feet to adjacent dwellings, 4 square feet per bird in a coop and 100 square feet of run required.
Little Rock, AR. Up to four chickens allowed. Up to four animals total.
Mobile, AL. Unlimited chickens allowed. No breeding, no roosters.

American Canyon, CA.   Must keep your chicken coop in the back yard, and 50 ft. away from other houses or dwellings where people reside.
Anaheim, CA. Can keep 3 chickens on a 5,000 sq.ft. lot, 6 chickens on a 10,000 sq.ft. lot.
Bakersfield, CA. Municipal code 6.08.010: Any chickens must be "kept securely enclosed in a yard or pen at all times."
Berkely, CA. Chickens must be kept penned and 30 ft. away from any bedrooms.
Campbell, CA. Not more than six animals in all, including hares, rabbits, guinea pigs, feline, bovine, sheep, goat, chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, doves, pigeons, game birds, or other fowl or any combination thereof.
Davis, CA. A total of not more than six chicken hens and you have to keep them penned no less than 40 ft. from neighboring houses.
Downey, CA. Up to five chickens allowed per lot.
El Cajon, CA. See:   http://qcode.us/codes/elcajon/view.php?topic=6-6_04&frames=on. . . It's confusing to me.
Folsom, CA. Not more than any combination of two chickens, ducks, pigeons and rabbits shall be kept within any zoning district of the city other than agricultural or agricultural combining districts; and said animals shall be kept or maintained at least twenty feet from any property line.
Imperial Beach, CA. The municipal code says no, but a feed store estimates around 500 chickens are kept as pets.
Irvine, CA. Two chickens max. allowed, kept in a sanitary, odor free enclosure.
La Puente, CA. Up to 20 chickens allowed for each ten thousand sq. feet of lot area in residential zones.
Lafayette, CA. Residents can keep approximately 4 chickens.
Long Beach, CA. Homeowners are allowed up to 20 hens. No roosters. Must be 20 feet from a dwelling and confined.
Los Angeles, CA. Unlimited. Chickens may not be within 20 feet of owner's residence, and must be at least 35 feet from any other dwelling.
Mission Viejo, CA. You are allowed up to two chickens, and roosters are not allowed. But city code 9.59.115-1 says no chickens allowed.
Mountain View, CA. Up to 4 hens without a permit. Keep 25 ft. from residences. Within 25 ft. is o.k. with written consent from residences. No roosters.
Oakland, CA. Keep chicken enclosed, & 20 ft. from any dwelling, church or school.
Petaluma, CA. Up to twenty animals of mixed combination. Chickens must be kept five feet from a neighbor’s fence or property line, and they must be kept 20 ft. from neighboring dwellings.
Redwood City, CA. Maximum of 3 chickens permitted, no roosters over 4 months of age.
Roseville, CA. Maximum 10 chickens kept 20 ft. from any property line &/or building. They don't delineate hens or roosters.
Santa Rosa, CA. Up to 25. May have 25 chickens per 20,000 square feet. No chickens in residential areas zoned R1, R2 or PRC.
Sacramento, CA. Except for a few areas specifically spelled out in code, keeping chickens is not allowed in Sacramento.
Sacramento County, CA.   As long as your yard is 10,000 square feet or more, you can keep chickens.
San Jose, CA. 1-4 chickens must be kept 15 feet from neighboring structures. 4-6 chickens must be kept 20 feet away. A permit is required if you keep more than 6 chickens. In any area zoned ‘residential,’ only hens are permitted; no roosters.
San Diego, CA. Currently undergoing debates in the city council, trying to get chickens to be legal in this city.
San Francisco, CA. Up to four chickens allowed. Up to four small animals total. Keep 20 feet from doors or windows in a coop or enclosure of approved type.
Temple City, CA. Basically it allows two hens per property, but no roosters.
Vallejo, CA. You are allowed to keep up to 25 chickens if they are kept 15 ft. from neighboring dwellings. Roosters are allowed but subject to noise nuisance violations.
Woodland, CA. It is OK to keep up to 6 hens provided they are kept over 40 ft. from neighboring residences.

Colorado Springs, CO. A property may have a maximum of 10 fowl (chickens, ducks, etc.) requiring at least four square feet of coop area and adequate outdoor space. No roosters permitted within the city limits.
Denver, CO. Chicken permit must be purchased from the city for $50 & you must show that the enclosure will be clean & pest free.
Northglenn, CO. Not allowed unless property is zoned for agriculture.
Thornton, CO. Not zoned for fowl.
Westminster, CO. Not allowed unless property is zoned for agriculture.

D.C.

Washington D.C. Housing chickens here violates health laws and is not legal.

New Castle County, DE. Chickens are not allowed unless your parcel of land is over one acre.

Miami, FL. May have up to 15 hens, no roosters. Must be contained at least 100 feet from neighboring structures.
Sanford, FL. A recent law (2007) says that this city does not allow chickens and you can only have 3 dogs and 3 cats. No potbelly pigs, goats, etc.
Miami, FL. No poultry houses shall be situated less than 100 feet from any human dwelling. Droppings shall not be used for fertilizer. All food used for poultry, fowl and grazing animals shall be kept inaccessible to rats. All poultry or fowl droppings shall be removed from the pens at least twice weekly, wrapped in paper and placed in covered garbage cans for removal.
Sanford, FL. According to county ordinance, chickens are permitted. However, it appears the code wants you to keep your chickens penned 25 ft. away from your own house and 150 ft. away from neighbors. Which again, would be only possible on very large lots.
Boca Raton, FL. It shall be unlawful to keep, harbor or maintain within the city limits any horses, mules, sheep, cattle, hogs, goats, geese, turkeys, chickens or other livestock or fowl.
Boynton Beach, FL. Says it is against the law "to keep, maintain or pasture horses, cattle, mules, goats, sheep, swine, fowl, poultry, or other livestock within the city."
Levy County, FL. 10 is the max. number poultry and fowl it appears you can keep in this city.

Lawrenceville, GA. No chickens allowed. However, apparently this law is only enforced if someone complains.
Alpharetta, GA. There is a 75 chicken maximum.
Atlanta, GA. Chickens are allowed here.

Clive, IA. No more than 12 chickens on lots less than 1.5 acres. Must be 150 feet from homes and 50 feet from property line.
Davenport, IA. Chickens not allowed, unless property is zoned as agricultural.
Des Moines, IA. Lots smaller than 1 acre, up to 30 birds; lots 1 acre or larger, up to 50 birds. Not allowed in the front yard, and must be at least 25' from neighbors.
Johnston, IA. "No...chickens shall be allowed to run at large within the corporate limits of the city..."
Sioux City, IA. Permit required. No roosters over 4 months old. No more than 50 birds total. Must be at least 25' from the home and at least 150' from neighboring homes. Urbandale, IA. Chickens must be kept at least 150 feet from any dwelling.
West Des Moines, IA. Chickens may not "run at large."
Windsor Heights, IA. No more than 2 chickens allowed; must be kept in a coop at all times. Must be at least 25' from neighboring residences, and may not be in front yard.
Waukee, IA. No fowl shall be kept within the city limits of the City, except in A-1 District or A-2 Annexation District on tracts of one (1) or more acres.

Nampa, ID. Keep 50 ft. from neighbors. Pay $50 for a permit. Only 3 chickens allowed and no roosters.
Boise, ID. Up to three "pet" hens allowed. No roosters.

Chicago, IL. Can have unlimited number of chickens if use is only for pets or eggs; cannot have if use is to slaughter. Must be penned.

Evansville, IN. No more than 6 chickens allowed, coop must be at least 50 feet from any neighbor dwelling, and you have to pay a $5 license per premise annually.
Lafayette, IN. Livestock of any kind is prohibited in this city.

Topeka, KS. Unlimited chickens allowed. Chickens must be penned 50 feet from any neighbor’s house.

Louisville, KY. If your lot is less than a half of an acre, then you can only have five hens, or “non-crowing” poultry. I.e., if you have non-crowing poultry, you can have up to five birds. Must be penned and not allowed to roam on the owner’s land. You can have up to 1 crowing and 5 non-crowing poultry on less than a half-acre tract, but must have at least a half-acre to have more than that.

Baton Rouge, LA. The keeping of more than three chickens within a recognized residential subdivision on a lot of less than one acre is prohibited. If you live on less than one acre, your max. number of hens allowed is three.
New Orleans, LA. Sale or donation of chicks younger than 4 weeks of age is prohibited except in quantities of 12 to an individual. Giving fowl away as prize or advertising device is also prohibited. Chickens are to be treated humanely and kept in clean, sturdy housing.

Boston, MA. All residential zones in Boston forbid "auxilliary keeping of animals", which includes poultry and other livestock.
Brockton, MA. Hens are allowed, but roosters are not.
Cambridge, MA. Nowhere are chickens mentioned in the city codes. The city itself comments that as long as the chickens are "pets", there is nothing to enforce or not enforce.
Lynn, MA. You have to go to all your neighbors and have them sign a petition stating that they would not have any problems with you having the hens. If you have complaints from neighbors about your chickens, you are subject to a fine of $1000.00 per day.
Northampton, MA. A maximum of three hens allowed; no roosters.
Somerset, MA. The entire town is zoned agricultural. No limits on the amount of chickens allowed. You are asked to submit a plan for your management of manure.
Wenham, MA. Poultry allowed, but the town may restrict your operation if it causes a public nuisance (noise) or public health issues (disease).
Westfield, MA. Chickens not allowed. No "livestock." Maximum of five cats and dogs.
Westwood, MA. Up to 10 fowl allowed on lots less than 40,000 sq. feet, Coop must be 15 feet from property lines. Permit application must include site plan. $10 annual permit fee and BOH inspection prior to issuance of the permit. Cockerels must be kept 1,000 feet from property lines.

Baltimore County, MD. Must have 1 acre of land to have poultry.
Baltimore City, MD. Up to four chickens can be kept (no roosters) as long as they are confined to a moveable pen that is kept 25 feet away from all residences.
Baltimore City, MD. You can have up to for hens, no roosters, must have a permit
Rockville, MD. Chickens are not allowed; neither are ducks, goats, or anything
primarily kept on a farm.

Falmouth, ME. An unspecified number of hens are allowed.
Guilford, ME. "There shall be no poultry or livestock in the Town of Guilford within the municipal Water or Sewer Districts, with the exception that if the lot is 5 acres or more the Planning Board will have the authority to grant a variance.” Basically, no poultry or livestock within the Water or Sewer Districts.
Portland, ME. Chickens not legal, but currently voting to hopefully pass an ordinance allowing 6 hens.
South Portland, ME. Voted in 2007 to allow 6 hens per household, with restrictions (see full ordinance at www.SoPoChickens.org)

Ann Arbor, MI. An ordinance was approved on June 2, 2008. Up to 4 hens are now allowed, and you must pay $20 for a permit.
Detroit, MI. Not allowed. No "farm animals."
East Grand Rapids, MI. No chickens may be kept on the same lot or premises of any dwelling without obtaining prior written approval from the Director of City Services.
North Branch, MI. No one may house chickens unless you are “a farm.”

Edina, MN. Chickens not allowed.
Minneapolis, MN. Unlimited. Applicant needs consent from 80 percent of neighbors within 100 feet of real estate. Chickens must be penned.
Rosemount, MN. You can have up to 3 hens, no roosters. You must get written permission from all the neighbors whose yards border yours. You must keep them in a coop between 12 and 24 inches above ground and the legs of the coop must be sunk in cement footers. And there is a $25 annual fee to keep chickens.
St. Paul, MN. Can have one chicken without a permit, but more than one you have to get permission from 75% of neighbors 150 ft. around, or proof you have no neighbors for 150 feet. No roosters, and no selling eggs without a permit.

St. Louis, MO. You can keep up to four chickens without a permit. If you want to keep more, you must file a permit (cost is $40) with the Health Commissioner.

Asheville, NC. Must have permit, must keep chickens 100ft. from neighboring households, chickens must be penned, the enclosure inspected by the City, and droppings must be "collected and sealed in a container."
Chapel Hill, NC. 20 chickens allowed.
Durham, NC. No chickens are allowed.
Raleigh, NC. No limit on number of chickens kept.
Woodfin, NC. There are no restrictions on keeping chickens if you own at least one acre.

Lincoln, NE. Can have two chickens without a permit.
Omaha, NE. May have chickens in city limits as long as they are hens, no roosters, for egg production. Must have enclosure, subject to The Humane Society inspection, to apply for permit.

Albuquerque, NM. Zoning allows the raising of unlimited poultry if penned at least 20 feet from neighboring dwellings.
Santa Fe, NM. Unlimited chickens allowed.

Las Vegas, NV. Roosters not allowed. Hens allowed if kept in a coop, but must notify Animal Control first. Chickens can’t be kept in a basement, house or cellar.

Huntington, NY. Town zoning regulations prohibit chickens. The current rules do not allow poultry on residential lots, but people are petitioning to change the code.
Ithaca, NY. The law explicitly prohibits keeping "poultry, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese or any other fowl" amongst other specific animals, and generally any other animal except domesticated pets.
New Hempstead, NY. The maintenance of 4 or fewer fowl (chickens, ducks, etc.) is permitted. No roosters. All fowl shall be kept in an enclosure area at least 75 feet from any lot line.
New York City, NY. Chickens are considered pets under the Health Code. Unlimited number of hens allowed; no roosters or other types of poultry. Code mentions cleanliness of chicken area must be kept clean.
Oswego, NY. Chickens not allowed. Can only have chickens that were "grandfathered."
Riga / Churchville, NY. Chickens allowed but all housing of livestock has to be 100 ft. off of any lot lines.
Syracuse, NY. Chickens sometimes allowed. Depends on zoning. No roosters.

Beachwood, OH. Just passed an emergency ordinance prohibiting fowl, ducks and goats, with no grandfathering clauses allowed.
Toledo, OH. Chickens are permitted with a written variance from the city health inspector.

Ponca City, OK. Chickens must be kept 100 ft. from neighbor's houses, so this essentially makes keeping chickens impossible on normal lots.
Stillwater, OK. Chickens may not be kept within 150 feet of any house. In addition, any pen for poultry must enclose a minimum of 900 square feet.

Beaverton, OR. Except for “household pets,” no person shall keep or maintain livestock or poultry within the city.
Corvallis, OR. Unlimited chickens allowed. No roosters. Chickens must be penned.
Eugene, OR. A maximum of 2 hens, no roosters, kept 20 feet from dwellings.
Gresham, OR. Unlimited “livestock” allowed, provided they are kept 100ft. from neighbors, which is possible only on uncommonly large lots.
Hillsboro, OR. It is unlawful for any person to possess or harbor any livestock within the corporate limits of the city. The county offices say say chickens are not allowed but if no one complains then its unlikely any enforcement would happen.
Keizer, OR. Chickens are illegal but they work “on the complaint basis.” If no one complains you can keep them. If they do, you have to remove them.
Milwaukie, OR. Up to 50 chickens, including roosters, except if neighbors complain, then noise violations will apply.
Portland, OR. Three hens allowed without a permit. No roosters. Permit for more costs $31. Keep 25ft. from residences.
Salem, OR. There have been recent debates in Salem regarding the current law that chickens are illegal here.

Catawissa, PA. Chickens must be confined, no closer than 10 feet from neighboring properties, kept clean with no odors emanating across property lines.
State College, PA. Legal to raise chickens provided they are housed “under sanitary conditions" and that they "shall not become either a public or private nuisance." No mention of numbers restrictions.
Pittsburgh, PA. "Fowl at large” are not permitted in unenclosed areas, other peoples' property, or public lands. Also, “no more than 5 pets per household" city limit and animal nuisance prohibitions as well.
State College, PA. As of 2008, this town is considering an ordinance that would allow borough residents to raise up to four hens in backyard coops, provided a strict series of health and zoning controls are met.

Aiken, SC. Chickens must be penned, and the pen kept 40 ft. from neighboring residences.
Summerville, SC. It shall be unlawful for any person to permit or allow any chickens, ducks, geese or other poultry of any kind or description to run at large.

Nashville, TN. Has an unlimited chicken law assuming “No person shall keep chickens within the metropolitan government area in such a manner that a nuisance is created” and are kept penned, no “fowl at large.”

Arlington, TX. You must have a lot that is larger than a half an acre to lawfully keep hens (no roosters) here. If you have such a lot, then you must still keep the chickens 50 ft. away from neighboring houses.
Austin, TX. Up to 10 fowl per household, but keep in enclosure that's 50 ft. away from neighbors.
Fort Worth, TX. You must keep chickens (no mention of quantity) fifty feet away from neighbors.
Grand Prairie, TX. You have to be able to keep your chickens 150 feet away from any neighboring structures that house people, which is pretty difficult to do on a city or suburb lot.
Houston, TX. Up to 30 chickens allowed. Chickens must be kept 100 feet from
Irving, TX. According to the Parks & Rec department here, "In recognition of changing demographics, we no longer have restrictions on livestock."
Laredo, TX. If you keep 6 or fewer chickens, set-backs are not restricted. If you keep more than 6 chickens, you must keep the pen 100 ft. from any occupied building, besides your own.
Mansfield, TX. Your lot must be 20,000 square feet in order to keep chickens.
Round Rock, TX. Up to 5 fowl if your chicken pen is 25 ft. away from neighbor's residences. If the pen is 50 ft. away, you can have 10 fowl.
San Antonio, TX. Up to 5 of any kind of fowl, any gender, per household. Must keep in a pen, 20 feet from any other dwelling.
Waco, TX. Livestock is allowed inside the City of Waco as long as the pen is located at least 200 feet from the nearest neighbor in a straight line at the closest points.

Brigham City, UT. Definition of domesticated animal includes 'fowls' Section 4:01.16 defines that the pets can be kept in humane enclosure not larger than 50 cubic feet. It also states that 'household pets' will be no more than 6 birds.
Orem City, UT. Limit of poultry/fowl: 20 on a lot under one acre, and must be kept 40 ft. from dwelling on same lot or 85 ft. from neighboring dwelling. Currently you must have at least one acre of property to have any chickens at all, legally.
Salt Lake City, UT. You can keep up to 25 chickens (no reference to roosters) with a permit, and the coop must be placed 50 feet from nearby houses.

Alexandria, VA. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or allow to be kept within the city, within 200 feet of any residence or dwelling not occupied by such person, any fowl.
Fairfax County, VA. Chickens over 2 months are classified as "domestic fowl" and are allowed on any lot of 2 or more acres.
Falls Church, VA. Chickens not allowed. No "agricultural animals." your property is zoned for agriculture.
Richmond City, VA. No person shall keep, place or maintain fowl on any parcel of real property in the city which contains less than 50,000 square feet in area.
Richmond, VA. Can only keep chickens if your lot is 50,000 square feet or larger.

Burlington, VT. Up to 3 fowl per household.

Bothell, WA. You may own 3 or less fowl. Must keep coop 20 ft. from your own property line. If your neighbors say it’s okay, you may place chickens closer to your shared property line.
Camas, WA. The city code doesn’t appear to explicitly outlaw chickens, but it just says you can’t keep any animal that becomes a “public nuisance.” And nuisance is defined there as “…annoying noise or odor, causing detriment to the health, safety and welfare of neighboring persons and properties…kept in such manner as to be nauseous, foul or offensive.”
Everett, WA. No roosters. Five hens allowed without a permit. If you want more than five, you must get a facility license permit from Animal Services. This requires inspection of your facilities/property. Chickens must be kept enclosed.
Gig Harbor, WA. No regulations for animals except bees.
Lynnwood, WA. An accessory building for the housing of small animals or fowl shall not exceed 36 square feet in floor area when located on a residential lot and neither the building nor the fenced area for roaming shall be closer than 25 feet to a property line.
Mill Creek, WA. If you want to keep chickens, the square footage of your lot must be 7,500 sq. ft. Up to six hens allowed. Roosters illegal. thoroughfare.
Olympia, WA. Up to 3 birds, hens are considered, roosters prohibited.
Seattle, WA. Can have a total of three small animals; more if the lot is large. Municipal Code 23.44.048 says up to 3 domestic fowl may be kept on any lot.
Spokane, WA. Up to three chickens allowed.. Can have up to three animals total.
Tacoma, WA. Livestock allowed in the city
Vancouver, WA. Chickens are allowed, however roosters and peacocks are not.
Woodinville, WA. No restrictions in the code for animals according to the planning department.

Fond du Lac, WI. No chickens allowed in this city as they are considered a public nuisance.
Greebay, WI. The law reads: May have 4 birds over 8 inches tall per residence plus a clutch or part of a clutch for 8 weeks.
Madison, WI. Up to four chickens per household. Not allowed to roam free. Keep pen 25 ft. from neighbors. $10 annual permit required. Hens only; no roosters allowed.
Shorewood Hills, WI. It is said that the village Clerk keeps six hens. Noise and smell are regulated, but not the number of chickens.

Casper, WY. Chickens sometimes allowed. Can have chickens in special circumstances, like 4-H.

CANADA

Esquimalt, BC. No poultry keeping is allowed in the Municipality of Esquimalt. However up to 10 caged "ornamental birds" (kept primarily for show) are allowed. (Their official definition of "Ornamental Bird" does not exclude chickens.)
Toronto, ONT. Chickens are prohibited.
Victoria, BC. Has a bylaw that supports raising urban poultry. No Roosters. No "Farm Animals". Poultry are not classified as "farm animals" under Victoria's bylaws.

“Dear Katy, Your website is very cool. I like it very much…I came across your website to help me out. Now your website is in my favorites…”    ---- Rob M., Tulare, CA
“Dear Katy, Hi from Cindylou here at MaryJanesFarm.com. Your website is wonderful! I know quite a few ‘farmgirls’ who have chickens, as well as chicken tractors and straw bale chicken coops. I will let them know about your website. She might include your website in a future magazine, so that other gals can find you. I will also let the gals on our Farmgirl Connection Forum know. There are always new ‘farmgirls’ interested in having chickens in the city! Keep up the good work!”    ---Cindylou
"Dear Katy...I have to compliment you on your excellent website! I never thought I could keep chickens since I lived in the city, but it turns out I can have five! Not only that, I am currently building a chicken tractor for my four chicks that was inspired by one of the photos on your website! Keep up the good work!"    ---R.M., Round Rock, TX

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TheCityChicken.com table of contents:
MAIN PAGE   (chickens.html)
CHICKEN TRACTOR GALLERY   (tractors.html)
PICTORIAL HISTORY   (pictorialhistory.html)
F.A.Q.        (frequentlyasked.html)
ARTICLES      (articles.html)
CHICKEN LAWS    (chickenlaws.html)
BROODING CHICKS    (broodchicks.html)
HEN HOUSE of the MONTH     (hhotm.html)