Cary, NC Chicken Laws: Hens, Roosters, Permit

Coop Ready North Carolina Cary

Allowed with a permit

Yes, with a permit. Cary allows backyard hens, but you need a permit first.

Allowed with single-family detached homes in the R-20, R-12, R-8, TR, TC-MDR, TC-LDR, TC-LDR-12, PDD and MXD zones. The application needs a plot plan with distances to lot lines. Hens are shut in the coop at night, garages and houses cannot be coops, and no sales or slaughter.

Hen limit

5 (no number set in R-40 and R-80)

Roosters

Banned (in R-40 and R-80, banned on lots under 5 acres)

Permit

Yes: an Accessory Use Permit, $100 (none in R-40 and R-80)

Coop placement

Coop, pen and tractor in the back yard, at least 15 ft from side and rear lot lines, and closer to your house than to any neighbor's

Checked against city code We read the official code section linked below for every fact on this page.

Read the official Cary rules ↗ Checked October 2026.

Will your coop fit in Cary?

Draw your lot, your house and your neighbor's house on a satellite map, drop in a coop, and Coop Ready measures the distances and compares them with the Cary rules above. Free, no account.

Plan my coop

Backyard chicken questions in Cary

How many chickens can I have in Cary?

The hen limit in Cary: 5 (no number set in R-40 and R-80).

Are roosters allowed in Cary?

No. Roosters are not allowed under the backyard-hen permit, and in R-40 and R-80 they are banned on lots under 5 acres.

Do I need a permit for backyard chickens in Cary?

Yes. In most Cary residential zones you need an Accessory Use Permit ($100) to keep up to 5 hens; the R-40 and R-80 zones need no permit.

How far does a chicken coop have to be from my neighbor in Cary?

Where the coop can go in Cary: coop, pen and tractor in the back yard, at least 15 ft from side and rear lot lines, and closer to your house than to any neighbor's.