Georgia chicken laws
Compare all 22 →- Alpharetta, GALarger lots onlyHens: 6 (lots of 1 acre or more only)
- Athens, GAHens allowedHens: 6 per parcel
- Atlanta, GAHens allowedHens: 25
- Augusta, GADepends on your zoningHens: No number set
- Brookhaven, GAHens allowedHens: 1 per 1,000 sq ft of lot, up to 25 (lots of 6,000 sq ft or more only)
- Cherokee County, GALarger lots onlyHens: 8 (lots of 20,000 sq ft or more)
- Cobb County, GAAllowed with a permitHens: 1 hen per 5,000 sq ft on lots under 2 acres
- Columbus, GAHens allowedHens: 6 on a single-family lot (more on lots of 2 acres or more)
- DeKalb County, GADepends on your zoningHens: 1 hen per 2,000 sq ft of lot (lots of 10,000 sq ft or more)
- Decatur, GAHens allowedHens: No set limit
- Dunwoody, GAAllowed with a permitHens: 6 (lots of 10,000 sq ft or more only)
- Forsyth County, GADepends on your zoningHens: 8 (lots of half an acre or more)
- Gwinnett County, GAHens allowedHens: 3 to 10 by lot size (lots of 10,500 sq ft or more); no limit on 3+ acres
- Johns Creek, GAHens allowedHens: 75 (combined cap for chickens and similar fowl)
- Kennesaw, GANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Macon, GADepends on your zoningHens: 6 hens where allowed in residential districts
- Marietta, GAAllowed with a permitHens: 4
- Peachtree Corners, GANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Roswell, GALarger lots onlyHens: By lot size: none under 0.33 acre; 6 on 0.34 to 1 acre; 12 per acre (up to 36) over 1 acre
- Sandy Springs, GAHens allowedHens: 75 (combined cap for chickens and similar fowl)
- Savannah, GAHens allowedHens: 1 per 1,000 sq ft of high ground, up to 30
- Smyrna, GANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
All places by state
Arizona
- Avondale, AZHens allowedHens: 6
- Buckeye, AZHens allowedHens: 6
- Casa Grande, AZHens allowedHens: 6
- Chandler, AZHens allowedHens: 6
- Flagstaff, AZAllowed with a permitHens: 6 on lots under 20,000 sq ft; up to 25 on larger lots
- Gilbert, AZHens allowedHens: 6 on lots of half an acre or less
- Glendale, AZHens allowedHens: 6
- Goodyear, AZHens allowedHens: 6
- Lake Havasu City, AZHens allowedHens: 6
- Marana, AZDepends on your zoningHens: 1 per 1,000 sq ft (ER, NR zones); 6 (GR); 40 per acre (AG, RA)
- Mesa, AZHens allowedHens: 10 (first half acre)
- Oro Valley, AZHens allowedHens: 6 (10 on lots of 42,000 sq ft or more; 24 on 144,000 sq ft or more)
- Phoenix, AZHens allowedHens: 6 (lots of half an acre or less)
- Prescott Valley, AZHens allowedHens: 10
- Scottsdale, AZHens allowedHens: No city cap; state law protects 6 on lots up to 1/2 acre
- Sierra Vista, AZHens allowedHens: 6
- Tempe, AZHens allowedHens: 6
- Tucson, AZHens allowedHens: 2 per 1,000 sq ft of lot, up to 24 (lots under 16,000 sq ft)
- Yuma, AZHens allowedHens: 6 on lots of half an acre or less (more on bigger lots)
Arkansas
- Bentonville, ARHens allowedHens: 6 under the 2026 code update (4 under the older rule)
- Conway, ARHens allowedHens: No set number (each bird needs adequate space, food and water)
- Fayetteville, ARHens allowedHens: 4 on lots up to 5,000 sq ft, plus 1 per extra 1,250 sq ft, up to 20
- Fort Smith, ARLarger lots onlyHens: 20 (hens and ducks combined) on lots of half an acre to 5 acres; none on smaller lots
- Jonesboro, ARHens allowedHens: 5 animals and fowl in total per household (pets count)
- Little Rock, ARHens allowedHens: No set limit
- North Little Rock, ARAllowed with a permitCoop: Coop at least 75 ft from any neighboring home or building
- Rogers, ARAllowed with a permitHens: 4
- Springdale, ARNot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
California
- Anaheim, CAHens allowedHens: 1 per 1,800 sq ft of lot
- Bakersfield, CANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Elk Grove, CAHens allowedHens: 6 (12 with a 40 ft buffer)
- Escondido, CAHens allowedHens: 6 in R-1 (25 in R-A and R-E)
- Folsom, CAHens allowedHens: 6
- Fremont, CALarger lots onlyHens: 5 on 6,001 to 9,999 sq ft; 6 on 10,000 sq ft or more
- Fresno, CANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Long Beach, CAHens allowedHens: 20 (4 without a permit)
- Los Angeles, CAHens allowedHens: No set limit
- Modesto, CAHens allowedHens: 12 per home
- Oakland, CAHens allowedHens: No set limit
- Riverside, CAHens allowedHens: 5 (RE and R-1 zones)
- Roseville, CAHens allowedHens: 10 (ducks, chickens and pigeons combined)
- Sacramento, CAAllowed with a permitHens: 3
- San Diego, CAHens allowedHens: 5 to 25, depending on setbacks
- San Francisco, CAHens allowedHens: 4 animals total
- San Jose, CAHens allowedHens: 6 without a permit; up to 20 with a permit, by distance to neighbors' homes
- Santa Ana, CAHens allowedHens: 4 (more with a special permit)
- Santa Rosa, CAHens allowedHens: 3 to 30 by lot size
- Stockton, CAHens allowedHens: 4 per 5,000 sq ft of lot (lots of 5,000 sq ft or more)
Colorado
- Aurora, COAllowed with a permitHens: 6 hens (8 on lots of 20,000 sq ft or more)
- Colorado Springs, COHens allowedHens: 10 fowl (4 months or older)
- Denver, COAllowed with a permitHens: 8
- Fort Collins, COAllowed with a permitHens: 8 under 1/2 acre; 12 up to 1 acre; +6 per extra 1/2 acre
- Lakewood, CODepends on your zoningHens: 6 in R-1-6 and R-2; set by coop size in R-1-9 and larger
- Longmont, COAllowed with a permitHens: 4
- Thornton, COHens allowedHens: 6
- Westminster, COAllowed with a permitHens: 6 on a quarter acre or less, up to 30 on 2+ acres
District of Columbia
Florida
- Jacksonville, FLAllowed with a permitHens: 5 (5 more per extra half acre over 1 acre)
- Miami, FLAllowed with a permitHens: 15
- Orlando, FLAllowed with a permitHens: 4
- St. Petersburg, FLHens allowedHens: 10 fowl, on any size lot
- Tallahassee, FLHens allowedHens: No set limit
- Tampa, FLHens allowedHens: 1 per 1,000 sq ft of lot
Georgia
- Alpharetta, GALarger lots onlyHens: 6 (lots of 1 acre or more only)
- Athens, GAHens allowedHens: 6 per parcel
- Atlanta, GAHens allowedHens: 25
- Augusta, GADepends on your zoningHens: No number set
- Brookhaven, GAHens allowedHens: 1 per 1,000 sq ft of lot, up to 25 (lots of 6,000 sq ft or more only)
- Cherokee County, GALarger lots onlyHens: 8 (lots of 20,000 sq ft or more)
- Cobb County, GAAllowed with a permitHens: 1 hen per 5,000 sq ft on lots under 2 acres
- Columbus, GAHens allowedHens: 6 on a single-family lot (more on lots of 2 acres or more)
- DeKalb County, GADepends on your zoningHens: 1 hen per 2,000 sq ft of lot (lots of 10,000 sq ft or more)
- Decatur, GAHens allowedHens: No set limit
- Dunwoody, GAAllowed with a permitHens: 6 (lots of 10,000 sq ft or more only)
- Forsyth County, GADepends on your zoningHens: 8 (lots of half an acre or more)
- Gwinnett County, GAHens allowedHens: 3 to 10 by lot size (lots of 10,500 sq ft or more); no limit on 3+ acres
- Johns Creek, GAHens allowedHens: 75 (combined cap for chickens and similar fowl)
- Kennesaw, GANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Macon, GADepends on your zoningHens: 6 hens where allowed in residential districts
- Marietta, GAAllowed with a permitHens: 4
- Peachtree Corners, GANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Roswell, GALarger lots onlyHens: By lot size: none under 0.33 acre; 6 on 0.34 to 1 acre; 12 per acre (up to 36) over 1 acre
- Sandy Springs, GAHens allowedHens: 75 (combined cap for chickens and similar fowl)
- Savannah, GAHens allowedHens: 1 per 1,000 sq ft of high ground, up to 30
- Smyrna, GANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
Indiana
- Bloomington, INAllowed with a permitHens: 5
- Carmel, INHens allowedHens: 6
- Evansville, INAllowed with a permitHens: 6 birds per property (all fowl over 8 weeks old combined)
- Fishers, INLarger lots onlyHens: Only on 5+ acres in AG, ER or OS zones (about 3 chickens per acre in AG and OS, 2.25 in ER)
- Fort Wayne, INNot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Gary, INLarger lots onlyHens: 1 per 3,000 sq ft of lot, up to 10 (lots of 5,000 sq ft or more)
- Hammond, INNot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Indianapolis, INHens allowedHens: 12 adult birds (chickens, quail, pigeons and ducks combined)
- Lafayette, INAllowed with a permitHens: 5
- Muncie, INNot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- South Bend, INAllowed with a permitHens: 6
Kentucky
- Bowling Green, KYHens allowedHens: 5
- Covington, KYHens allowedHens: 8 on lots under 1/2 acre; no cap stated for larger lots
- Lexington, KYHens allowedHens: No limit stated
- Louisville, KYHens allowedHens: 5 non-crowing poultry (lots under half an acre)
- Owensboro, KYAllowed with a permitHens: 6
- Richmond, KYDepends on your zoningHens: No limit stated
Massachusetts
Missouri
New Mexico
New York
- Albany, NYAllowed with a permitHens: Up to 6: 200 sq ft of open lot for 2 hens plus 100 sq ft for each extra hen
- Buffalo, NYAllowed with neighbor consentHens: 5
- New York, NYHens allowedHens: No set limit
- Rochester, NYAllowed with a permitHens: Not stated in the code; your police license sets the maximum number
- Syracuse, NYHens allowedHens: 6 total, counting hens and rabbits together
- Yonkers, NYNot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
North Carolina
- Asheville, NCAllowed with a permitHens: No fixed number (flock must suit the coop; 7 or more animals in a household needs an extra permit)
- Cary, NCAllowed with a permitHens: 5 (no number set in R-40 and R-80)
- Charlotte, NCAllowed with a permitHens: 20 per acre
- Concord, NCLarger lots onlyHens: 10 on 1 acre or more; 15 on 2 acres or more; none under 1 acre
- Durham, NCHens allowedHens: 10 per lot
- Fayetteville, NCHens allowedHens: 10 per home lot (under the Cumberland County animal code the city applies)
- Greensboro, NCDepends on your zoningHens: None under 7,000 sq ft; 1 per 3,000 sq ft up to 4 on lots of 7,000 to 12,000 sq ft; 1 per 2,000 sq ft up to 20 on bigger lots
- Greenville, NCHens allowedHens: 15 birds total (all fowl combined)
- High Point, NCHens allowedHens: 5 per house
- Wilmington, NCAllowed with a permitHens: 5 (lots of 15,000 sq ft or more only)
- Winston-Salem, NCHens allowedHens: 5 (all fowl combined)
Ohio
- Akron, OHLarger lots onlyCoop: No poultry inside any home or within 100 ft of any home, including your own
- Canton, OHHens allowedHens: No set limit
- Cincinnati, OHHens allowedHens: 6 under 10,000 sq ft; 12 up to 20,000 sq ft; 24 above
- Cleveland, OHAllowed with a permitHens: 1 per 800 sq ft of lot, up to 6
- Columbus, OHAllowed with a permitHens: Set by coop space
- Dayton, OHNot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Parma, OHNot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Toledo, OHHens allowedHens: 6 per single-family home
Oklahoma
- Broken Arrow, OKHens allowedHens: No set limit (a general cap of fewer than 5 domestic animals may apply)
- Edmond, OKAllowed with a permitHens: By lot size: 4 under 1/3 acre, 6 up to 0.68 acre, 8 up to 1 acre, 12 to 30 up to 5 acres (at least 2)
- Lawton, OKAllowed with a permitHens: 12 small animals total (chickens, ducks and rabbits combined)
- Moore, OKNot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Norman, OKHens allowedHens: 4 per R-1 lot
- Oklahoma City, OKHens allowedHens: 6
- Tulsa, OKHens allowedHens: 6
Oregon
- Ashland, ORHens allowedHens: 5 on lots up to 5,000 sq ft; 1 per 1,000 sq ft above that, up to 20
- Beaverton, ORHens allowedHens: 4 (lots of 5,000 sq ft or more)
- Bend, ORHens allowedHens: 4 hens and rabbits combined (lots of 5,000 sq ft or more)
- Corvallis, ORHens allowedHens: No number set
- Eugene, ORHens allowedHens: 6 adults plus 6 young birds (lots under 20,000 sq ft)
- Gresham, ORAllowed with a permitHens: 3
- Hillsboro, ORAllowed with a permitHens: 3 on 7,000 to 10,000 sq ft; 6 up to 1 acre; 9 over 1 acre
- Lake Oswego, ORHens allowedHens: No set limit
- Medford, ORHens allowedHens: No set limit
- Portland, ORHens allowedHens: 4 (6 on lots of 10,000 sq ft or more)
- Salem, ORHens allowedHens: 12 poultry total
- Tigard, ORHens allowedHens: No set limit
Pennsylvania
- Allentown, PANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Altoona, PANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Bethlehem, PANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Erie, PANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Harrisburg, PALarger lots onlyHens: 10 birds per 40,000 sq ft of lot (lots of 40,000 sq ft or more only)
- Lancaster, PANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Philadelphia, PANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Pittsburgh, PAHens allowedHens: 5 on a 2,000 sq ft lot, plus 1 for each extra 1,000 sq ft
- Reading, PAAllowed with a permitHens: No fixed number (the permit sets it)
- Scranton, PAAllowed with a permitHens: 2 on lots up to 20,000 sq ft, plus 1 per extra 1,000 sq ft (chickens, ducks and rabbits combined)
- State College, PAAllowed with a permitHens: 4 per one-family home
- York, PANot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
South Carolina
- Charleston, SCAllowed with a permitHens: No set number in code
- Columbia, SCAllowed with a permitHens: 4
- Greenville, SCHens allowedHens: No set number; the flock must not disturb neighbors
- North Charleston, SCHens allowedHens: No set number; must not create a nuisance
- Spartanburg, SCAllowed with neighbor consentHens: 6
Tennessee
- Bartlett, TNHens allowedHens: No set number (the old 8-per-person cap was removed in December 2025)
- Chattanooga, TNHens allowedHens: 8
- Clarksville, TNAllowed with a permitHens: 8
- Collierville, TNHens allowedHens: No set limit
- Franklin, TNAllowed with a permitCoop: No fixed coop distance once a permit is granted; the 1,000 ft rule decides whether you need the permit
- Hendersonville, TNHens allowedHens: 1 per 10,000 sq ft of lot (chickens and ducks combined)
- Jackson, TNLarger lots onlyHens: 6
- Johnson City, TNNot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Kingsport, TNHens allowedHens: No limit stated for regular residential zones
- Knoxville, TNAllowed with a permitHens: 6
- Memphis, TNHens allowedHens: 1 per 1,500 sq ft, up to 6; lot must be 5,000 sq ft or more
- Murfreesboro, TNHens allowedHens: 8 birds total (all fowl and rabbits combined) on lots under 2 acres
- Nashville, TNAllowed with a permitHens: 2 to 6, by lot size
- Smyrna, TNLarger lots onlyHens: Not stated (poultry counts as agricultural use)
Texas
- Allen, TXAllowed with a permitHens: 4
- Arlington, TXHens allowedHens: 4 (more on bigger lots)
- Austin, TXHens allowedHens: No set limit
- Baytown, TXHens allowedHens: 6
- Bedford, TXHens allowedHens: 5 fowl
- Boerne, TXHens allowedHens: No limit stated
- Buda, TXHens allowedHens: 4 hens (half acre or less); 10 hens (over half acre)
- Burleson, TXHens allowedHens: 4
- Carrollton, TXAllowed with a permitHens: 6
- Cedar Park, TXLarger lots onlyHens: 15 fowl per lot, 1 acre+ lots in DR, ES or SR zoning only
- Conroe, TXHens allowedHens: No set limit (4 sq ft per chicken)
- Converse, TXAllowed with a permitHens: 8 domestic fowl
- Coppell, TXNot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Dallas, TXHens allowedHens: No set limit
- DeSoto, TXLarger lots onlyHens: 6 on a quarter acre; more on bigger lots
- Denton, TXLarger lots onlyHens: 8 fowl
- El Paso, TXHens allowedHens: 5 (more with a permit)
- Euless, TXHens allowedHens: No chicken limit stated (a 4-animal household cap may count hens)
- Flower Mound, TXHens allowedHens: 4 on lots up to 1 acre
- Fort Worth, TXHens allowedHens: 12 (lots of half an acre or less)
- Frisco, TXHens allowedHens: 12 per enclosure
- Galveston, TXHens allowedHens: 6 per lot
- Garland, TXHens allowedHens: 4
- Georgetown, TXHens allowedHens: 8 hens
- Grand Prairie, TXLarger lots onlyHens: No set number (20 sq ft per bird)
- Grapevine, TXHens allowedHens: No set limit
- Houston, TXHens allowedHens: 30 in city code
- Hurst, TXHens allowedHens: 5 hens (20 on lots over 1 acre)
- Hutto, TXHens allowedHens: 5 (pen 50-100 ft from neighbors) or 10 (100 ft+)
- Irving, TXHens allowedHens: 25 chickens (lots of 1 acre or less)
- Katy, TXLarger lots onlyHens: 25 per acre (lots of 1 acre or more)
- Keller, TXDepends on your zoningHens: 12 hens (SF-8.4 zoning or larger)
- Kyle, TXHens allowedHens: 6 hens (plus up to 2 other fowl)
- League City, TXHens allowedHens: Up to about 96 per acre (a density cap shared with other barnyard animals)
- Leander, TXHens allowedHens: 10 chickens or other fowl
- Lewisville, TXAllowed with a permitHens: 6 on lots under 1 acre (5 per quarter acre on 1+ acre)
- Little Elm, TXHens allowedHens: 10 fowl
- Live Oak, TXNot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Mansfield, TXHens allowedHens: 6 at 50 to 70 ft from neighbors' homes; up to 25 farther out on bigger lots
- McKinney, TXHens allowedHens: 12
- Mesquite, TXNot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Missouri City, TXHens allowedHens: No set limit
- New Braunfels, TXAllowed with a permitHens: 4 hens on lots under 40,000 sq ft
- North Richland Hills, TXAllowed with a permitHens: 6 at 30 to 50 ft from neighbors' homes; up to 18 farther out on bigger lots
- Pasadena, TXHens allowedHens: No set limit
- Pflugerville, TXHens allowedHens: No limit stated
- Plano, TXAllowed with a permitHens: Counts toward 10 animals per lot, pets included
- Prosper, TXHens allowedHens: 12 fowl per enclosure
- Richardson, TXHens allowedHens: 8
- Rockwall, TXNot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- Round Rock, TXHens allowedHens: 5 (pen 25-50 ft from neighbors) or 10 (50 ft+)
- Rowlett, TXHens allowedHens: 10
- San Antonio, TXHens allowedHens: 8
- San Marcos, TXHens allowedHens: 8 hens
- Schertz, TXHens allowedHens: No fowl cap; general limit of 3 animals per species may apply
- Seguin, TXAllowed with a permitHens: 8 (up to 26 or 50 with larger setbacks)
- Sugar Land, TXNot on typical home lotsNo hens on a typical home lot
- The Colony, TXLarger lots onlyHens: No set number (10 sq ft per bird)
- Tomball, TXHens allowedHens: No set limit (more than 10 must be penned)
- Wylie, TXAllowed with a permitHens: 8 hens
Utah
- Orem, UTHens allowedHens: Based on lot size: 2 hens on 5,000 sq ft, up to 12 hens on 30,000 sq ft; 20 poultry per acre on lots of 1 acre or more
- Provo, UTAllowed with a permitHens: Based on lot size: 2 hens on 6,000 sq ft, up to 6 hens on 10,000 sq ft or more
- Salt Lake City, UTAllowed with a permitHens: 15
- Sandy, UTHens allowedHens: 10
- West Jordan, UTAllowed with a permitHens: 5 hens plus up to 5 chicks
- West Valley City, UTHens allowedHens: Up to 4 household pets per address in total, and hens count toward that 4
Virginia
Washington
- Bellevue, WAHens allowedHens: 6 (more only on lots of 10,000 sq ft or more)
- Bellingham, WAHens allowedHens: No set limit
- Everett, WAHens allowedHens: 6 on lots up to 10,000 sq ft (more on larger lots)
- Kent, WAHens allowedHens: 3 on a 5,000 sq ft lot, plus 1 per extra 1,000 sq ft
- Olympia, WAHens allowedHens: 5 on lots up to 1 acre (up to 10 on larger lots)
- Redmond, WAAllowed with a permitHens: 4 to 10 by lot size (none under 4,000 sq ft)
- Seattle, WAHens allowedHens: 8
- Spokane, WAHens allowedHens: 1 per 1,000 sq ft of lot
- Tacoma, WAHens allowedHens: 6 (10 with neighbor consent; more on lots over 10,000 sq ft)
- Vancouver, WAHens allowedHens: No set limit
Your city not listed yet? We add places in batches. Meanwhile the planner still checks coop and run space, and the 50-city chicken laws study covers the biggest cities. Ask us to add your city.
Guides
How Coop Ready works
01
Check your city
Hen limits, roosters, permits and coop distances, each linked to the code we read.
02
Draw your yard
Outline your lot, your house and your neighbor's house on satellite imagery.
03
Drop in a coop
Coop Ready measures the distances and compares them with your city's rules, then prints a site plan.
How we put Coop Ready together
For each place we read the municipal code, zoning ordinance or official animal services page and wrote down the rules for a typical single-family home lot: how many hens, whether roosters are allowed, whether you need a permit, and how far the coop has to sit from lot lines or neighbors' homes. Every page links to the source we used and says how closely we checked it.
Rules can differ for your exact lot. Zoning districts, lot size, HOA covenants, county rules for unincorporated areas and state laws can all change the answer, so treat Coop Ready as your starting point and confirm with your city before you build. Spot a rule that has changed? Tell us and we will check it.
Coop plannerDraw your lot and test a coop spot against your city's rules. Coop size calculatorHow much coop and run space your flock needs. Free coop floor plansA printable layout sized to your flock. Prefab coop checkerHow many hens a store-bought coop really holds. Run and fencing calculatorRun size, hardware cloth rolls and posts. Coop setback rulesHow far the coop must sit from lot lines and neighbors. Permit checklistWhat cities ask for on a chicken permit. Chicken laws studyThe 50 largest US cities in charts, plus the full dataset to download.
Coop Ready is a free planning aid from Cooped Up Life, not legal advice. City codes change, and zoning, HOA rules and your exact parcel can change what is allowed. Always confirm with your city before you build.
