Coop Ready Georgia
Georgia backyard chicken laws
Usually yes, but it depends on the city or county. Of the 20 places in Georgia we have checked, 12 allow backyard hens on a typical home lot, 6 allow them only on bigger lots or in some zones, and 2 do not.
In Georgia, chicken rules are set by each city, and by the county for land outside city limits. Find your place below for its hen limit, rooster rule, permit and coop distance, each linked to the code we read.
Places checked
20
Hens on a typical lot
12 of 20
Ban roosters
14 of 20
Need a permit or approval
7 of 20
State law in Georgia: We found no Georgia state law that limits what cities and counties can decide about backyard hens, so each city and county sets its own rules.
Chicken laws by city in Georgia
| Place | Verdict | Hen limit | Roosters | Permit | Coop placement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpharetta, GA | Larger lots only | 6 (lots of 1 acre or more only) | Banned | No | Coop and run at least 25 ft from rear and side property lines |
| Athens, GA | Hens allowed | 6 per parcel | Banned (any crowing chicken) | No (coops over 25 sq ft follow accessory-structure rules) | Rear yard, at least 20 ft from homes on neighboring parcels; distance from the property line depends on the zone (10 to 50 ft) |
| Atlanta, GA | Hens allowed | 25 | Not banned (crowing nuisance rule applies) | No | 50 ft from other homes |
| Brookhaven, GA | Hens allowed | 1 per 1,000 sq ft of lot, up to 25 (lots of 6,000 sq ft or more only) | Banned | No | Coop at least 7.5 ft from any property line, in the side or rear yard |
| Columbus, GA | Hens allowed | 6 on a single-family lot (more on lots of 2 acres or more) | Not named (noise and odor rules apply) | No | Coop at least 50 ft from any lot line |
| Decatur, GA | Hens allowed | No set limit | Not named in the code | No | Coop at least the width of the lot (75 ft if the lot is 75 ft or wider) from any home other than the owner's |
| Dunwoody, GA | Allowed with a permit | 6 (lots of 10,000 sq ft or more only) | Banned (also crowing hens, ducks, geese and turkeys) | Zoning approval from Community Development with a site plan; it does not transfer to new owners | Rear yard, at least 35 ft from the rear line, 15 ft from side lines and 20 ft from corner-side lines |
| Johns Creek, GA | Hens allowed | 75 (combined cap for chickens and similar fowl) | Not named in the code | No | Birds kept at least 100 ft from any occupied building other than the owner's home |
| Macon, GA | Depends on your zoning | 6 hens where allowed in residential districts | Banned (ducks, geese, turkeys and other fowl too) | Yes: a certificate of zoning compliance | At least 15 ft from side and rear property lines, behind the back wall of the house, and closer to your home than to your neighbor's |
| Marietta, GA | Allowed with a permit | 4 | Banned | Yes: a chicken application with a scaled site sketch | Fenced area in the rear yard at least 20 ft from any property line and 10 ft from the house |
| Peachtree Corners, GA | Not on typical home lots | Only on owner-occupied lots of 3 acres or more | Counted as livestock (3+ acres only) | No keeping permit; a building permit for any structure | Animal quarters at least 100 ft from any property line |
| Roswell, GA | Larger lots only | By lot size: none under 0.33 acre; 6 on 0.34 to 1 acre; 12 per acre (up to 36) over 1 acre | Banned | No (fixed coops follow accessory-structure rules) | Enclosure at least 25 ft from any home on an abutting lot |
| Sandy Springs, GA | Hens allowed | 75 (combined cap for chickens and similar fowl) | Not named in the code | No | Birds kept at least 25 ft from any occupied building other than the owner's home |
| Savannah, GA | Hens allowed | 1 per 1,000 sq ft of high ground, up to 30 | Not named in the code | Only a building permit for a coop of 120 sq ft or more | 25 ft from neighboring homes for up to 10 birds; 50 ft for more than 10. Neighbors can waive this in writing |
| Smyrna, GA | Not on typical home lots | Not allowed in single-family districts | Banned (no poultry in residential districts) | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Unincorporated Georgia counties
These rules apply only outside city limits. If your address is inside a city, the city's rules apply instead.
| Place | Verdict | Hen limit | Roosters | Permit | Coop placement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, GA | Larger lots only | 8 (lots of 20,000 sq ft or more) | Banned | Not stated | Enclosure at least 25 ft from property lines and 50 ft from homes on neighboring lots |
| Cobb County, GA | Allowed with a permit | 1 hen per 5,000 sq ft on lots under 2 acres | Banned on lots under 2 acres | Yes: an application to Community Development before you get hens | Coop at least 25 ft from any property line |
| DeKalb County, GA | Depends on your zoning | 1 hen per 2,000 sq ft of lot (lots of 10,000 sq ft or more) | Banned | Not stated | Coop at least 20 ft from any property line and 50 ft from any home other than yours |
| Forsyth County, GA | Depends on your zoning | 8 (lots of half an acre or more) | Banned (and any crowing fowl) | No (coops need no building permit) | Coop at least 20 ft from rear and side lines and 50 ft from neighbors' homes |
| Gwinnett County, GA | Hens allowed | 3 to 10 by lot size (lots of 10,500 sq ft or more); no limit on 3+ acres | Banned (no variance allowed) | No | Coop at least 20 ft from any property line and 50 ft from a home on an adjoining parcel |
Will your coop fit?
Draw your lot, your house and your neighbor's house on a satellite map, drop in a coop, and Coop Ready checks the distances against your Georgia city's rules. Then share the plan or print a free permit site plan.
Georgia backyard chicken questions
Can you have backyard chickens in Georgia?
Usually yes, but it depends on the city or county. Of the 20 places in Georgia we have checked, 12 allow backyard hens on a typical home lot, 6 allow them only on bigger lots or in some zones, and 2 do not. Check your exact city or county, because the rules differ a lot from place to place.
Who sets chicken rules in Georgia?
Each Georgia city sets its own chicken rules in its code or zoning ordinance. Outside city limits, county zoning decides whether hens are allowed, and UGA Extension advises checking zoning first.
Is there a Georgia state law on backyard chickens?
We found no Georgia state law that limits what cities and counties can decide about backyard hens, so each city and county sets its own rules.
Are roosters allowed in Georgia?
14 of the 20 places we checked in Georgia ban roosters on typical home lots. Check your city's page for its exact rule.
Can an HOA in Georgia ban chickens?
We found no Georgia statute that overrides HOA covenants on backyard chickens. Your community's own covenants and rules decide.
Which Georgia places do not allow chickens on a typical home lot?
Peachtree Corners, GA, Smyrna, GA. See the city pages for the exact rule.
Keeping a healthy Georgia flock
The Georgia Department of Agriculture asks flock owners to report sick birds or sudden deaths to its Avian Influenza Hotline at 770-766-6850, and testing is free through the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network. You can register your flock location free through GDA's premises registration, and UGA Extension's Management Guide for the Backyard Flock covers housing, feed and disease. Visit the official page ↗
More from Coop Ready
- Rooster laws by city
- Cities that ban chickens
- HOA chicken rules
- Arizona chicken laws
- California chicken laws
- Florida chicken laws
- Texas chicken laws
See every city on Coop Ready →
Coop Ready is a free planning aid from Cooped Up Life, not legal advice. Codes change, and zoning, HOA rules and your exact parcel can change what is allowed. Confirm with your city or county before you build.
