Montana Backyard Chicken Laws: Permits, Limits & Setbacks by City and County
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Overview of Montana Chicken Laws
How many chickens can I have within Montana city limits?
It depends on the city. There is no statewide cap. Examples: Billings and Missoula (up to 6 hens); Kalispell and Bozeman (up to 15 by lot size); Butte (up to 25 on lots ½ acre or larger). Many smaller towns have no published numeric limit.
Official Sources & Data Integrity
We reference Montana municipal bylaws and ordinances from verified platforms like ecode360.com, municode.com, and local government websites at the time of publication. You can review state-level rules via Montana Department of Livestock Animal Health Division
Note: Not specified means no specific requirement was identified in the applicable municipal sources reviewed. No published ordinance means no hen, rooster, permit, or setback rule was found in the city’s published code.
⚠️ Important: Montana ordinances may change without notice. Always verify the current rules with your local jurisdiction and any HOA before starting a flock.
Montana Ordinances by City & County
Beaverhead County, MT
Dillon, MT
No published ordinance
Big Horn County, MT
Hardin, MT
No published ordinance
Broadwater County, MT
Townsend, MT
No published ordinance
Carbon County, MT
Red Lodge, MT
No published ordinance
Cascade County, MT
Great Falls, MT
Hen Limit: Livestock/fowl allowed only in R-1; Not specified in R-1 | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Not specified | Setback: Not specified
Custer County, MT
Miles City, MT
No published ordinance
Dawson County, MT
Glendive, MT
No published ordinance
Deer Lodge County, MT
Anaconda, MT
No published ordinance
Fergus County, MT
Lewistown, MT
No published ordinance
Flathead County, MT
Bigfork, MT
No published ordinance
Columbia Falls, MT
Hen Limit: Up to 5 hens on lots under 1 acre | Roosters: Not allowed | Permit: Not specified | Setback: Animal structures in rear or side yard
Kalispell, MT
Hen Limit: Up to 4 hens on first 3,000 sq ft; +1 per additional 1,000 sq ft, max 15 hens | Roosters: Not allowed | Permit: Required | Setback: Not specified
Lakeside, MT
No published ordinance
Whitefish, MT
Hen Limit: Up to 5 hens | Roosters: Not allowed | Permit: Not required | Setback: Rear or side yard; 10 ft from property lines
Gallatin County, MT
Belgrade, MT
Hen Limit: Up to 6 hens; min. 7,000 sq ft lot | Roosters: Not allowed | Permit: Required | Setback: 20 ft from another dwelling; 10 ft from a neighbor’s line or alley; 20 ft from a street line
Bozeman, MT
Hen Limit: Up to 4 hens on first 3,000 sq ft; +1 per additional 1,000 sq ft, max 15 hens | Roosters: Not allowed | Permit: Required | Setback: 20 ft from another dwelling; 5 ft from property lines
Manhattan, MT
Hen Limit: Up to 4 hens on 3,000 sq ft; +1 per additional 1,000 sq ft, max 15 | Roosters: Not allowed | Permit: Required | Setback: 20 ft from another dwelling; 10 ft from a neighbor’s line or alley; 20 ft from a street line
Three Forks, MT
Hen Limit: Up to 6 hens | Roosters: Not allowed | Permit: Required | Setback: 20 ft from another dwelling; 10 ft from property lines; no front yard
Glacier County, MT
Browning, MT
No published ordinance
Cut Bank, MT
No published ordinance
Hill County, MT
Havre, MT
Havre, MT has a total ban on poultry within city limits
Jefferson County, MT
Clancy, MT
No published ordinance
Whitehall, MT
No published ordinance
Lake County, MT
Polson, MT
Hen Limit: Up to 6 adult chickens | Roosters: Not allowed | Permit: Required | Setback: 20 ft from a dwelling occupied by someone other than the keeper
Ronan, MT
No published ordinance
Saint Ignatius, MT
No published ordinance
Lewis and Clark County, MT
East Helena, MT
No published ordinance
Helena, MT
No published ordinance
Lincoln County, MT
Eureka, MT
No published ordinance
Libby, MT
No published ordinance
Troy, MT
No published ordinance
Madison County, MT
Ennis, MT
No published ordinance
Missoula County, MT
Frenchtown, MT
No published ordinance
Lolo, MT
No published ordinance
Missoula, MT
Hen Limit: Up to 6 hens | Roosters: Not allowed | Permit: Required | Setback: 20 ft from a dwelling occupied by someone other than the keeper
Musselshell County, MT
Roundup, MT
No published ordinance
Park County, MT
Livingston, MT
No published ordinance
Phillips County, MT
Malta, MT
No published ordinance
Pondera County, MT
Conrad, MT
No published ordinance
Powell County, MT
Deer Lodge, MT
No published ordinance
Ravalli County, MT
Corvallis, MT
No published ordinance
Florence, MT
No published ordinance
Hamilton, MT
No published ordinance
Stevensville, MT
No published ordinance
Victor, MT
No published ordinance
Richland County, MT
Sidney, MT
No published ordinance
Roosevelt County, MT
Wolf Point, MT
No published ordinance
Sanders County, MT
Plains, MT
No published ordinance
Thompson Falls, MT
No published ordinance
Silver Bow County, MT
Butte, MT
Hen Limit: Up to 25 hens on lots 20,000 sq ft or larger | Roosters: Not allowed | Permit: Not specified | Setback: Not specified
Stillwater County, MT
Columbus, MT
No published ordinance
Sweet Grass County, MT
Big Timber, MT
No published ordinance
Toole County, MT
Shelby, MT
No published ordinance
Valley County, MT
Glasgow, MT
No published ordinance
Yellowstone County, MT
Billings, MT
Hen Limit: Up to 6 hens | Roosters: Not allowed | Permit: Required | Setback: 10 ft from right-of-way, sidewalk, or neighboring property line
Laurel, MT
Hen Limit: Up to 6 hens | Roosters: Not allowed | Permit: Required | Setback: 10 ft from right-of-way, sidewalk, or neighboring property line
Shepherd, MT
No published ordinance
Unincorporated Montana Communities
Communities: Evergreen, Helena Valley Southeast, Helena Valley West Central, Lockwood, Big Sky
Hen Limit: Not specified | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Not specified | Setback: Not specified
Zoning, Permits & HOA Notes
Coops count as accessory structures with local rules on size, placement, and setbacks. Building permits may apply in some areas. Nuisance and sanitation laws apply statewide.
Montana Department of Livestock does not require a statewide backyard-chicken permit, but HOAs or local jurisdiction can restrict or ban chickens.
Selling Backyard Eggs in Montana
Sell only eggs from your own hens, and only to the person who will eat them (home, farm, or farmers market). For flocks of 3,000 hens or fewer, no state license, grading, or inspection is required.
Keep eggs clean, uncracked, and at 45°F or below. Put your name and address on the carton. “Farm fresh — not graded” is enough for these direct sales.
A Department of Livestock egg grading license is required if you sell to a store, cafe, or other reseller.
Montana Poultry Slaughter Rules
Birds you raise may be processed on your property for your household and non-paying guests. No state license is required if the meat is not sold.
Meat sold to the public must go through a state-licensed or USDA-inspected plant, unless a federal producer exemption applies and Department of Livestock conditions are met.
On-site processing is also subject to city nuisance rules. Many towns restrict it in residential zones.
Essential Guides for Backyard Chicken Success
Montana flocks need a tight, raised house that sheds snow and keeps weasels out. Use the site’s 4 × 12 ft walk-in plan—hardware cloth, buried apron, and a sloped roof—then size the run to your city’s hen cap. Build the weekend coop
After the birds arrive, pick cold-hardy breeds, keep bedding dry so ammonia does not build in a shut-up winter coop, and lock them in before dusk. Raise and manage the flock