Appendix

Summary of Selected City Municipal Codes

This listing will give you a good idea of chicken codes across the country, current as of our publication date. Towns and cities update their codes and ordinances on a regular basis, however, so check in with your local health department to find the codes current to your area before you decide to take up chicken keeping.

Alabama

Mobile

City Code No: Ch. 7, Art. IV, Div. 2, Sec. 7-102 and 7-103

Chicken Limits: 25 chickens or fewer with permit; 200 feet from residences

Alaska

Juneau

City Code No: Part II, Title 8, Ch. 8

Chicken Limits: No prohibition or restrictions on keeping chickens in the city

Arizona

Phoenix

City Code No: Ch. 8, Art. II, Sec. 8-7 and 8-8

Chicken Limits: 20 chickens or fewer with written permission of residences within 80 feet

Arkansas

North Little Rock

City Code No: Ch. 10, Art. IV, Sec. 10-166 thru 10-169

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens with annual permit fee of $1.00; 75 feet from residences

California

Los Angeles

City Code No: Ch. I, Art. 2, Sec. 12.05(A)(7)(a)

Chicken Limits: 5 chickens or fewer; no permit required

San Diego

City Code No: Ch. 4, Art. 2, Div. 7, Sec. 42.0708 & 42.0709

Chicken Limits: 25 chickens or fewer with permit; 50 feet from residences

San Francisco

City Code No: Health Code, Art. 1, Sec. 37

Chicken Limits: No permit for 4 or fewer chickens; 20 feet from any door or window

Santa Ana (Orange Co.)

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 5, Art. I, Sec. 5-5.5

Chicken Limits: 4 chickens or fewer; permit required for additional chickens

Anaheim

City Code No: Title 8, Ch. 8, Sec. 08.070.010

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens with annual permit fee

Colorado

Denver

City Code No: Title II, Ch. 8, Art. IV, Div. 2, Sec. 8-91

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens with annual permit fee of $50

Connecticut

Hartford

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 6, Sec. 6-4

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens; unlawful to keep poultry in area detrimental to public health

New Haven

City Code No: Title III, Ch. 7, Sec. 7-2

Chicken Limits: No prohibition on keeping chickens in the city; chickens can’t roam at large or cause a nuisance

Delaware

Wilmington

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 3, Art. I, Sec. 3-15

Chicken Limits: Chickens are prohibited

Florida

Miami

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 6, Art. I, Sec. 6-1

Chicken Limits: 15 chickens or fewer, together with 30 or fewer baby chicks; permit required; 100 feet from residences

Georgia

Atlanta

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 18, Art. II

Chicken Limits: No prohibition on keeping chickens in the city; chickens can’t roam at large

Hawaii

Honolulu

City Code No: Ch. 7, Sec. 7-2.5(d)

Chicken Limits: 2 chickens or fewer; 300 feet from residences

Idaho

Boise

City Code No: Title 8, Sec. 8-08

Chicken Limits: No prohibition or restrictions on keeping chickens in the city

Illinois

Chicago

City Code No: Title 7, Ch. 7-12, Sec. 7-12-300

Chicken Limits: No prohibition on keeping chickens in the city; cannot kill chickens in the city

Indiana

Indianapolis

City Code No: Title III, Ch. 531, Art. I, Sec. 531-102

Chicken Limits: No prohibition or restrictions on keeping chickens in the city

Iowa

Des Moines

City Code No: Ch. 18, Sec. 18-4

Chicken Limits: 25 chickens on the first acre of land, and 50 additional chickens on each acre thereafter

Kansas

Wichita (Sedgwick Co.)

City Code No: Ch. 5, Art. I

Chicken Limits: No prohibition or restrictions on keeping chickens in the city

Topeka

City Code No: Ch. 18, Art. VII, Sec. 18-291

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens; 50 feet from residences

Kentucky

Louisville

City Code No: Title 9, Ch. 90, Sec. 90.01

Chicken Limits: No prohibition or restrictions on keeping chickens in the city

Lexington

City Code No: Ch. 4, Sec. 4-10

Chicken Limits: No prohibition on keeping chickens in the city; chickens can’t roam at large

Louisiana

New Orleans (St. Charles Parish)

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 4, Art. I, Sec. 4.3

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens, with written permission of property owners within 300 feet

Baton Rouge

City Code No: Title 14, Ch. 2, Part III, Sec. 14.224

Chicken Limits: 3 chickens or fewer; permit required for additional chickens; 10 feet from nearest property line, 50 feet from nearest residences

Maine

Biddeford

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 10, Art. I

Chicken Limits: No prohibition or restrictions on keeping chickens in the city

Maryland

Baltimore (Howard Co.)

City Code No: Title 17, Subdiv. 3, Sec. 17.300

Chicken Limits: No prohibition or restrictions on keeping chickens in the city

Rockville

City Code No: Ch. 3

Chicken Limits: No prohibition or restrictions on keeping chickens in the city

Massachusetts

Boston

City Code No: Ch. 16, Sec. 16-1.8A

Chicken Limits: By permit for a fee of $20, and additional $10 fee for each 50 kept

Michigan

Detroit

City Code No: Part III, Ch. 6

Chicken Limits: No prohibition or restrictions on keeping chickens in the city

Minnesota

Minneapolis

City Code No: Title 4, Ch. 70, Sec. 70.10

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens with annual permit fee of $10, plus written consent of 80 percent of residents within 100 feet

Mississippi

Biloxi

City Code No: Ch. 4, Art. I, Sec. 4-1-5

Chicken Limits: 2 chickens or fewer; no permit or fee; 150 feet from nearest property line

Missouri

Springfield

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 18, Art. I, Sec. 18-24

Chicken Limits: 12 chickens in a pen at least 144 sq. feet; up to 25 chickens with additional 12 sq. feet per each; 50 feet from nearest property line

Montana

Billings

City Code No: Ch. 4, Art. 4-500, Sec. 4-501 Part II, Ch. 6, Div. 3, Sec. 6-233

Chicken Limits: No prohibition or restrictions on keeping chickens in the city

Nebraska

Omaha

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 6, Div. 3, Sec. 6-233

Chicken Limits: No prohibition on keeping chickens in the city; chickens can’t roam at large

Nevada

Reno

City Code No: Part II

Chicken Limits: No prohibition or restrictions on keeping chickens in the city

New Hampshire

Nashua

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 5, Art. I, Sec. 5-5.5

Chicken Limits: No prohibition on keeping chickens in the city; 45 feet from residences

Concord

City Code No: Title I, Ch. 13, Art. 13-1, Sec. 13-1-5

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens permitted; can’t be a public nuisance or health hazard

New Jersey

Trenton

City Code No: Health chapter

Chicken Limits: Chickens are prohibited

New Mexico

Las Cruces

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 7, Art. 5, Sec. 7-227

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens permitted on half-acre parcel or larger

New York

Buffalo

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 78, Art. I, Sec. 78-1

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens; no permit required; can’t be detrimental to public health

North Carolina

Winston-Salem

City Code No: Part III, Ch. 6, Sec. 6-6

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens; no permit or fee required; 20 feet from any property line, 50 feet from any principal residences

Greensboro

City Code No: Ch. 5, Art. I

Chicken Limits: No prohibition or restrictions on keeping chickens in the city

North Dakota

Grand Forks

City Code No: Part I, Ch. XI, Art. II, Sec. 11-0215

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens permitted; can’t be a public nuisance or health hazard

Ohio

Toledo

City Code No: Part 17, Title I, Ch. 1705, Sec. 1705.05

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens; permit required for all livestock within city limits

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City

City Code No: Ch. 8, Art. IV, Sec. 8-246

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of hens permitted; 40 feet from residences

Oregon

Portland

City Code No: Title 13, Ch. 13.05

Chicken Limits: 3 chickens or fewer without a permit; more with permit; 50 feet from residences

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh

City Code No: Title 6, Art. III, Ch. 635, Sec. 635.02

Chicken Limits: No prohibition or restrictions on keeping chickens in the city

Rhode Island

Providence

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 4, Art. I, Sec. 4-4

Chicken Limits: Chickens are prohibited

South Carolina

Columbia

City Code No: Ch. 4, Art. II, Sec. 4-33

Chicken Limits: Chickens are prohibited

Charleston

City Code No: Ch. 5, Art. I, Sec. 5-9

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens; permit required; 150 feet from residences

South Dakota

Sioux Falls

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 7, Art. I, Sec. 7-8

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens permitted; can’t be a nuisance

Tennessee

Memphis

City Code No: Part I, Ch. 5, Art. I, Sec. 5-3

Chicken Limits: No prohibition on keeping chickens in the city; chickens can’t roam at large

Texas

Dallas

City Code No: Vol. I, Ch. 7, Art. I, Sec. 7-13.1, 7-15.1, 7-22

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens; no permit required; no roosters; shelter required; no disturbing noises or nuisance

Houston

City Code No: Ch. 6, Art. II, Sec. 6-31, 6-38

Chicken Limits: 7 chickens or fewer with permit only if person under doctor’s orders for fresh chicken eggs

San Antonio

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 5

Chicken Limits: No prohibition or restrictions on keeping chickens in the city

Utah

Salt Lake City

City Code No: Title 8, Ch, 8, Sec. 8.08.010

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens with annual permit of $5 per hen, max. of $40 per year; 50 feet from residences

Vermont

Montpelier

City Code No: Ch. 8, Art. I, Sec. 5–6

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens permitted; must be kept in an enclosure

Virginia

Richmond

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 4, Art. I, Sec. 4-3

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens subject to Health Dept. inspection

Washington

Seattle

City Code No: Title 23, Subtitle IV, Div. 2, Ch. 23.44, Sec. 23.44.048

Chicken Limits: 3 chickens or fewer without a permit on a 20,000 sq. foot lot

West Virginia

Beckley (near Charleston)

City Code No: Part II, Ch. 3, Art. I, Sec. 3-10

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens permitted; can’t be a public nuisance or health hazard

Wisconsin

Madison

City Code No: Ch. 7, Sec. 7.29

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens permitted; can’t be a public nuisance or health hazard

Wyoming

Jackson

City Code No: Title 7, Ch. 7.04, Sec. 7.04.010

Chicken Limits: Chickens are prohibited

Laramie

City Code No: Title 6, Ch. 6.06, Sec. 6.06.030

Chicken Limits: Unspecified number of chickens permitted; 20 feet from neighboring residences; no roosters allowed