Coop Ready Texas
Texas backyard chicken laws
Usually yes, but it depends on the city or county. Of the 60 places in Texas we have checked, 48 allow backyard hens on a typical home lot, 7 allow them only on bigger lots or in some zones, and 5 do not.
In Texas, 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
60
Hens on a typical lot
48 of 60
Ban roosters
35 of 60
Need a permit or approval
15 of 60
State law in Texas: Texas's right-to-farm law (Agriculture Code ch. 251, as changed by HB 1750 from September 1, 2023) limits city rules on agricultural operations and counts raising or keeping poultry as one. Dallas Animal Services says this overrides its rooster ban. Texas A&M AgriLife says no court has yet decided whether backyard hens are covered, so city chicken limits in Texas are legally unsettled. Check with your city.
Chicken laws by city in Texas
| Place | Verdict | Hen limit | Roosters | Permit | Coop placement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen, TX | Allowed with a permit | 4 | Banned (unless 150 ft from every property line) | Yes: a one-time permit | Rear yard, 20 ft from any property line, not visible from the street |
| Arlington, TX | Hens allowed | 4 (more on bigger lots) | Banned | No | None for 4 hens; 50 ft for 5 or more |
| Austin, TX | Hens allowed | No set limit | Not banned in the animal code | No | Enclosure 30 ft from a neighbor's home or business (50 ft if a health hazard) |
| Baytown, TX | Hens allowed | 6 | Banned | No | Coop at least 200 ft from a residential structure |
| Bedford, TX | Hens allowed | 5 fowl | Not stated | No | 50 ft from any neighbor's home or business |
| Boerne, TX | Hens allowed | No limit stated | Not stated | Not stated | Coop 20 ft from the adjacent lot and 20 ft from any structure on the lot |
| Buda, TX | Hens allowed | 4 hens (half acre or less); 10 hens (over half acre) | Banned except in AG zoning | No | Pen at least 10 ft from side and rear lot lines, behind the front building line |
| Burleson, TX | Hens allowed | 4 | Banned | No | Coop and run 25 ft from any occupied building except the owner's; not in the front yard |
| Carrollton, TX | Allowed with a permit | 6 | Banned | Yes: an annual chicken permit | Coop 5 ft from property lines and 25 ft from neighbors' homes or businesses |
| Cedar Park, TX | Larger lots only | 15 fowl per lot, 1 acre+ lots in DR, ES or SR zoning only | 1 allowed where fowl are allowed | No | Coop at least 25 ft from all property lines |
| Conroe, TX | Hens allowed | No set limit (4 sq ft per chicken) | Not stated | No | Fowl lot at least 20 ft from the nearest adjoining residence |
| Converse, TX | Allowed with a permit | 8 domestic fowl | Banned | Unclear: Sec. 6-76 requires a council special use permit to raise fowl; Sec. 6-81 allows 8 at a residence | Coop at least 50 ft from every building except the owner's |
| Coppell, TX | Not on typical home lots | None (poultry banned in single-family zones) | Banned (with all poultry) | No | Not applicable |
| Dallas, TX | Hens allowed | No set limit | Allowed per the city (HB 1750) | No | None for hens; a rooster enclosure 20 ft from property lines |
| DeSoto, TX | Larger lots only | 6 on a quarter acre; more on bigger lots | Up to 1 per 2 hens | No | For up to 6 birds: 50 ft from neighboring homes and 10 ft from the property line |
| Denton, TX | Larger lots only | 8 fowl | Banned on parcels under 1 acre | Yes: a city permit for chickens | Enclosure at least 150 ft from any residence, business, school, hospital or nursing home |
| El Paso, TX | Hens allowed | 5 (more with a permit) | Up to 3 | 6 or more birds | 30 ft for permitted flocks |
| Euless, TX | Hens allowed | No chicken limit stated (a 4-animal household cap may count hens) | Not stated | No | None stated |
| Flower Mound, TX | Hens allowed | 4 on lots up to 1 acre | Banned on lots under 1 acre | Not stated | Coop at least 10 ft from any property line |
| Fort Worth, TX | Hens allowed | 12 (lots of half an acre or less) | Up to 2, counted in the limit | No | 50 ft from other homes |
| Frisco, TX | Hens allowed | 12 per enclosure | Banned under 1 acre | No | None stated in the animal code |
| Galveston, TX | Hens allowed | 6 per lot | Banned east of 103rd Street | Not stated (the fee schedule lists a $10 poultry permit) | None stated |
| Garland, TX | Hens allowed | 4 | Banned | No | Enclosure at least 30 ft from any neighbor's home and 5 ft from adjoining residential property |
| Georgetown, TX | Hens allowed | 8 hens | Banned | Yes: written notice to Chief of Police (no fee stated) | Coop at least 20 ft from another person's home |
| Grand Prairie, TX | Larger lots only | No set number (20 sq ft per bird) | Banned (except on 40+ acre agricultural land) | No | Every part of the coop 150 ft from any home, business or school other than the owner's |
| Grapevine, TX | Hens allowed | No set limit | Not stated | Not stated | Every part of the coop 50 ft from any home, business or school other than the owner's |
| Houston, TX | Hens allowed | 30 in city code | Banned in city code (Sec. 6-38) | No | 100 ft from any home in city code |
| Hurst, TX | Hens allowed | 5 hens (20 on lots over 1 acre) | Banned | No | Coop 50 ft from any residence except the owner's |
| Hutto, TX | Hens allowed | 5 (pen 50-100 ft from neighbors) or 10 (100 ft+) | Banned | No | Pen more than 50 ft from any building or home occupied by others |
| Irving, TX | Hens allowed | 25 chickens (lots of 1 acre or less) | 1 allowed, only with at least 6 hens | No | Coop at least 25 ft from any occupied building on another property |
| Katy, TX | Larger lots only | 25 per acre (lots of 1 acre or more) | Not stated (night noisemakers must be indoors 6 pm to 6 am) | Yes: an annual animal permit on tracts of 1 to 5 acres | Pen at least 100 ft from any home or business not on your land |
| Keller, TX | Depends on your zoning | 12 hens (SF-8.4 zoning or larger) | Only hens on lots smaller than SF-20 | No | Pen or coop 5 ft from any property line |
| Kyle, TX | Hens allowed | 6 hens (plus up to 2 other fowl) | Banned | No | Coop at least 20 ft from neighboring homes |
| League City, TX | Hens allowed | Up to about 96 per acre (a density cap shared with other barnyard animals) | Not stated | No (a permit only for selling fowl) | Coop at least 50 ft from any home except the owner's |
| Leander, TX | Hens allowed | 10 chickens or other fowl | Banned on lots under 3 acres; 200 ft rule otherwise | No | Coop at least 50 ft from any home except the owner's |
| Lewisville, TX | Allowed with a permit | 6 on lots under 1 acre (5 per quarter acre on 1+ acre) | Banned under 1 acre | Yes: an annual chicken permit | Coop and run 25 ft from neighbors' homes or businesses (150 ft on lots of 1 acre or more) |
| Little Elm, TX | Hens allowed | 10 fowl | Banned | No | 30 ft from any home except the owner's |
| Live Oak, TX | Not on typical home lots | Not allowed | Banned | No | Not applicable |
| Mansfield, TX | Hens allowed | 6 at 50 to 70 ft from neighbors' homes; up to 25 farther out on bigger lots | Banned (except on poultry farms) | Not stated | Coop at least 50 ft from neighbors' homes (70 ft or more for over 6 birds) |
| McKinney, TX | Hens allowed | 12 | Banned | No | None stated for fowl |
| Mesquite, TX | Not on typical home lots | Not allowed in residential zones | Banned in residential zones | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Missouri City, TX | Hens allowed | No set limit | Not banned (excessive crowing is a nuisance) | No | Pen at least 30 ft from any adjoining property line |
| New Braunfels, TX | Allowed with a permit | 4 hens on lots under 40,000 sq ft | Banned on lots under 40,000 sq ft | Yes: register with animal control (no fee stated) | Covered coop at least 10 ft from adjacent property lines and 30 ft from neighbors' homes |
| North Richland Hills, TX | Allowed with a permit | 6 at 30 to 50 ft from neighbors' homes; up to 18 farther out on bigger lots | Banned | Yes: an annual permit and a chicken care course | Coop 30 ft from neighbors' homes and 3 ft from property lines |
| Pasadena, TX | Hens allowed | No set limit | Not stated | No (a permit only for commercial fowl) | Coop at least 50 ft from any residence, including your own |
| Pflugerville, TX | Hens allowed | No limit stated | Treated as livestock: zoning rules plus 50 ft setbacks | Not stated | None stated for hens |
| Plano, TX | Allowed with a permit | Counts toward 10 animals per lot, pets included | Banned | Yes: a yearly backyard hen permit and a hen care course | Coop 20 ft from adjacent buildings (fewer than 5 animals); 50 ft for 5 or more |
| Prosper, TX | Hens allowed | 12 fowl per enclosure | Banned (except on ag-exempt land) | No | None stated |
| Richardson, TX | Hens allowed | 8 | Banned | No | No distance rule in the animal code; the coop meets building and zoning rules |
| Rockwall, TX | Not on typical home lots | None (agricultural zoning only) | Banned (with all chickens) outside agricultural zoning | No | Not applicable |
| Round Rock, TX | Hens allowed | 5 (pen 25-50 ft from neighbors) or 10 (50 ft+) | Not stated | No | Pen more than 25 ft from any building or home occupied by others |
| Rowlett, TX | Hens allowed | 10 | Banned within 150 ft of others' homes | Not stated | Coop at least 50 ft from the nearest home other than the owner's |
| San Antonio, TX | Hens allowed | 8 | 1 allowed | Only over 8 birds | None stated for 8 or fewer |
| San Marcos, TX | Hens allowed | 8 hens | Not covered by hen rule; 100 ft rule applies | No | Coop at least 30 ft from neighboring homes |
| Schertz, TX | Hens allowed | No fowl cap; general limit of 3 animals per species may apply | Not stated | Not stated | Coop at least 50 ft from others' homes |
| Seguin, TX | Allowed with a permit | 8 (up to 26 or 50 with larger setbacks) | Banned | Yes: annual permit from animal services (fee in Appendix C) | Enclosure at least 10 ft from all property lines |
| Sugar Land, TX | Not on typical home lots | None (fowl banned on any property) | Banned | Not available | Not applicable |
| The Colony, TX | Larger lots only | No set number (10 sq ft per bird) | Not stated | Not stated | Enclosure 200 ft from any inhabitable building, including your own |
| Tomball, TX | Hens allowed | No set limit (more than 10 must be penned) | Not stated | No | None stated |
| Wylie, TX | Allowed with a permit | 8 hens | Banned | Yes: fowl permit from Animal Services, fee set by council | 25 ft from a neighbor's home; 5 ft from property lines |
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 Texas city's rules. Then share the plan or print a free permit site plan.
Texas backyard chicken questions
Can you have backyard chickens in Texas?
Usually yes, but it depends on the city or county. Of the 60 places in Texas we have checked, 48 allow backyard hens on a typical home lot, 7 allow them only on bigger lots or in some zones, and 5 do not. Check your exact city or county, because the rules differ a lot from place to place.
Who sets chicken rules in Texas?
Each Texas city sets its own animal and zoning rules. Texas counties have limited zoning power, so outside city limits deed restrictions and HOA rules usually matter most.
Is there a Texas state law on backyard chickens?
Texas's right-to-farm law (Agriculture Code ch. 251, as changed by HB 1750 from September 1, 2023) limits city rules on agricultural operations and counts raising or keeping poultry as one. Dallas Animal Services says this overrides its rooster ban. Texas A&M AgriLife says no court has yet decided whether backyard hens are covered, so city chicken limits in Texas are legally unsettled. Check with your city.
Are roosters allowed in Texas?
35 of the 60 places we checked in Texas ban roosters on typical home lots. Check your city's page for its exact rule.
Can an HOA in Texas ban chickens?
Texas Property Code 202.007 lists things an HOA cannot ban, such as composting and rain barrels, but chickens are not on the list. A 2025 bill (HB 2013) to add chickens passed the Texas House but stalled in a Senate committee and did not become law.
Which Texas places do not allow chickens on a typical home lot?
Coppell, TX, Live Oak, TX, Mesquite, TX, Rockwall, TX, Sugar Land, TX. See the city pages for the exact rule.
Keeping a healthy Texas flock
The Texas Animal Health Commission asks owners to report unusual deaths or illness to their vet or to TAHC at 1-800-550-8242. Visit the official page ↗
More from Coop Ready
- Rooster laws by city
- Cities that ban chickens
- 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
- 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.
