Coop Ready Cities that ban chickens
Cities that ban chickens
27 of the 274 places on Coop Ready keep chickens off ordinary home lots, and 38 more allow them on paper but only on big lots or with distance rules most yards cannot meet.
An outright ban is rare. Most "bans" work through zoning that allows chickens only on farm or large-lot land, or through a coop distance so large that a normal city lot cannot meet it.
No chickens on a typical home lot (27)
Chickens are kept to agricultural, large-lot or industrial zoning in these places.
| Place | Hen limit | Coop placement |
|---|---|---|
| Springdale, AR | Not allowed on typical home lots | Not applicable |
| Bakersfield, CA | Not on typical home lots | Not applicable |
| Fresno, CA | Not in residential zones | Not applicable |
| Kennesaw, GA | None on home lots | Poultry buildings 200 ft from every property line; birds 25 ft from residential lines |
| Peachtree Corners, GA | Only on owner-occupied lots of 3 acres or more | Animal quarters at least 100 ft from any property line |
| Smyrna, GA | Not allowed in single-family districts | Not applicable |
| Fort Wayne, IN | No backyard hen allowance (any poultry needs city planning approval) | None stated |
| Hammond, IN | Not allowed in residential areas | Not applicable |
| Muncie, IN | Not allowed in R-1 to R-6 residential zones | Not applicable |
| Yonkers, NY | Not allowed (all poultry is banned) | Not applicable |
| Dayton, OH | No backyard hen allowance in the code | No coop rule for home lots |
| Parma, OH | Not allowed (all fowl banned) | Not applicable |
| Moore, OK | Only on land zoned agricultural | Not applicable |
| Allentown, PA | Not allowed (all fowl banned) | Not applicable |
| Altoona, PA | Not allowed on residential lots | Not applicable |
| Bethlehem, PA | Not allowed (all fowl banned) | Not applicable |
| Erie, PA | Not allowed (farm animals banned) | Not applicable |
| Lancaster, PA | Not allowed (poultry is not on the city's allowed-animal list) | Not applicable |
| Philadelphia, PA | Only on parcels of 3 acres or more | Not applicable |
| York, PA | Not allowed (poultry is not on the city's allowed-animal list) | Not applicable |
| Johnson City, TN | Not allowed in residential zones | Not applicable |
| Coppell, TX | None (poultry banned in single-family zones) | Not applicable |
| Live Oak, TX | Not allowed | Not applicable |
| Mesquite, TX | Not allowed in residential zones | Not applicable |
| Rockwall, TX | None (agricultural zoning only) | Not applicable |
| Sugar Land, TX | None (fowl banned on any property) | Not applicable |
| Virginia Beach, VA | Agricultural zones only | Not applicable |
Only on bigger lots (19)
Hens are allowed, but not on smaller residential lots.
| Place | Hen limit | Coop placement |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | 6 hens under the zoning code | Pen at least 100 ft from any dwelling, church, school, park or street |
| Fort Smith, AR | 20 (hens and ducks combined) on lots of half an acre to 5 acres; none on smaller lots | Coops, roosts and water features at least 25 ft from a house on the next lot |
| Fremont, CA | 5 on 6,001 to 9,999 sq ft; 6 on 10,000 sq ft or more | Enclosure 10 ft from any property line for 1 to 5 hens; 35 ft for 6 or more |
| Alpharetta, GA | 6 (lots of 1 acre or more only) | Coop and run at least 25 ft from rear and side property lines |
| Cherokee County, GA | 8 (lots of 20,000 sq ft or more) | Enclosure at least 25 ft from property lines and 50 ft from homes on neighboring lots |
| Roswell, GA | By lot size: none under 0.33 acre; 6 on 0.34 to 1 acre; 12 per acre (up to 36) over 1 acre | Enclosure at least 25 ft from any home on an abutting lot |
| Fishers, IN | Only on 5+ acres in AG, ER or OS zones (about 3 chickens per acre in AG and OS, 2.25 in ER) | Coops and pens 100 ft from property lines in ER zones and 200 ft in AG zones |
| Gary, IN | 1 per 3,000 sq ft of lot, up to 10 (lots of 5,000 sq ft or more) | The animal code bars poultry within 200 ft of anyone else's home; the 2026 zoning code also sets coop setbacks by lot width (30 ft front, 5 ft sides, 10 ft rear on lots under 50 ft wide) |
| Concord, NC | 10 on 1 acre or more; 15 on 2 acres or more; none under 1 acre | Coop in the back yard, at least 50 ft from neighboring homes and the street; pen at least 5 ft from lot lines |
| Akron, OH | Not stated | No poultry inside any home or within 100 ft of any home, including your own |
| Harrisburg, PA | 10 birds per 40,000 sq ft of lot (lots of 40,000 sq ft or more only) | Pen, shelter or enclosure at least 75 ft from every lot line |
| Jackson, TN | 6 | Coop and run at least 100 ft from every abutting property line; no permit within 250 ft of any home or business property line |
| Smyrna, TN | Not stated (poultry counts as agricultural use) | Not confirmed |
| Cedar Park, TX | 15 fowl per lot, 1 acre+ lots in DR, ES or SR zoning only | Coop at least 25 ft from all property lines |
| DeSoto, TX | 6 on a quarter acre; more on bigger lots | For up to 6 birds: 50 ft from neighboring homes and 10 ft from the property line |
| Denton, TX | 8 fowl | Enclosure at least 150 ft from any residence, business, school, hospital or nursing home |
| Grand Prairie, TX | No set number (20 sq ft per bird) | Every part of the coop 150 ft from any home, business or school other than the owner's |
| Katy, TX | 25 per acre (lots of 1 acre or more) | Pen at least 100 ft from any home or business not on your land |
| The Colony, TX | No set number (10 sq ft per bird) | Enclosure 200 ft from any inhabitable building, including your own |
Allowed, but the coop distance rules out most lots (19)
Hens are legal, but the coop has to sit very far from homes or lot lines. Test your own yard in the free planner before you give up.
| Place | Hen limit | Coop placement |
|---|---|---|
| North Little Rock, AR | Not stated | Coop at least 75 ft from any neighboring home or building |
| Anaheim, CA | 1 per 1,800 sq ft of lot | 20 ft from property lines and 50 ft from any home except the owner's |
| Modesto, CA | 12 per home | Coop 40 ft from any window or door of a home, including your own |
| Washington, DC | No set number (the permit lists it) | 50 ft from any dwelling (including yours) and 250 ft from property lines unless all neighbors within 100 ft consent in writing |
| Miami, FL | 15 | 100 ft from any home |
| Columbus, GA | 6 on a single-family lot (more on lots of 2 acres or more) | Coop at least 50 ft from any lot line |
| Johns Creek, GA | 75 (combined cap for chickens and similar fowl) | Birds kept at least 100 ft from any occupied building other than the owner's home |
| Kansas City, MO | 15 | 100 ft from other homes |
| Greenville, NC | 15 birds total (all fowl combined) | Coop at least 80 ft from any property line you do not own |
| Scranton, PA | 2 on lots up to 20,000 sq ft, plus 1 per extra 1,000 sq ft (chickens, ducks and rabbits combined) | Coop at least 50 ft from any home other than yours; not in a front yard or a street-facing side yard |
| Spartanburg, SC | 6 | Coop at least 50 ft from the nearest home other than yours, and not in a front or side yard |
| Baytown, TX | 6 | Coop at least 200 ft from a residential structure |
| Bedford, TX | 5 fowl | 50 ft from any neighbor's home or business |
| Houston, TX | 30 in city code | 100 ft from any home in city code |
| Hurst, TX | 5 hens (20 on lots over 1 acre) | Coop 50 ft from any residence except the owner's |
| Hutto, TX | 5 (pen 50-100 ft from neighbors) or 10 (100 ft+) | Pen more than 50 ft from any building or home occupied by others |
| Pasadena, TX | No set limit | Coop at least 50 ft from any residence, including your own |
| Schertz, TX | No fowl cap; general limit of 3 animals per species may apply | Coop at least 50 ft from others' homes |
| Bellingham, WA | No set limit | Fowl confined so they cannot get within 50 ft of any dwelling or occupied building, including your own |
Depends on your zoning (9)
Some residential districts allow hens and others do not. Look up your parcel's zoning district.
| Place | Hen limit | Coop placement |
|---|---|---|
| Marana, AZ | 1 per 1,000 sq ft (ER, NR zones); 6 (GR); 40 per acre (AG, RA) | ER and NR: coop 20 ft from any home on another lot; GR: 20 ft from the neighboring property line |
| Lakewood, CO | 6 in R-1-6 and R-2; set by coop size in R-1-9 and larger | R-1-9 and larger: coop 15 ft from side and rear lines. R-1-6 and R-2: accessory setbacks (5 ft) |
| Augusta, GA | No number set | No coop setback in the code |
| DeKalb County, GA | 1 hen per 2,000 sq ft of lot (lots of 10,000 sq ft or more) | Coop at least 20 ft from any property line and 50 ft from any home other than yours |
| Forsyth County, GA | 8 (lots of half an acre or more) | Coop at least 20 ft from rear and side lines and 50 ft from neighbors' homes |
| Macon, GA | 6 hens where allowed in residential districts | 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 |
| Richmond, KY | No limit stated | None stated |
| Greensboro, NC | 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 | Lots of 7,000 to 12,000 sq ft: coop 25 ft from every lot line and 50 ft from a neighbor's house. Lots over 12,000 sq ft: 50 ft from every lot line. Always behind the back wall of the house. |
| Keller, TX | 12 hens (SF-8.4 zoning or larger) | Pen or coop 5 ft from any property line |
Chicken ban questions
Which big cities ban backyard chickens?
On Coop Ready: Springdale, AR, Bakersfield, CA, Fresno, CA, Kennesaw, GA, Peachtree Corners, GA, Smyrna, GA, Fort Wayne, IN, Hammond, IN, Muncie, IN, Yonkers, NY, Dayton, OH, Parma, OH, Moore, OK, Allentown, PA, Altoona, PA, Bethlehem, PA, Erie, PA, Lancaster, PA, Philadelphia, PA, York, PA, Johnson City, TN, Coppell, TX, Live Oak, TX, Mesquite, TX, Rockwall, TX, Sugar Land, TX, Virginia Beach, VA. Each city page links to the code that keeps chickens off typical home lots.
Is it legal to keep chickens if my city bans them?
No. Where a city keeps chickens off residential lots, keeping them can bring a code violation and fines. Some cities have changed their rules after residents asked, so it can be worth asking your council.
What if my lot is in the county, not the city?
Then the county rules apply, and they are often looser on bigger lots. Check your county zoning code.
Can I get an exception?
Some places allow a variance, a special use permit or a larger-lot exception. Ask the planning or zoning office.
Check your own yard
Pick your city, draw your lot on a satellite map and drop in a coop. Coop Ready checks the distances, then lets you share the plan or print a free permit site plan.
More from Coop Ready
- Rooster laws by city
- HOA chicken rules
- Coop setback rules
- Permit site plan checklist
- Arizona chicken laws
- California chicken laws
- Colorado chicken laws
- Florida chicken laws
- Georgia chicken laws
- Oregon chicken laws
- Texas chicken laws
- Washington 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.
