New Jersey Backyard Chicken Laws: Permits, Limits & Setbacks by City and Town

New Jersey Backyard Chicken Laws by City & County

Summary of common rules: New Jersey has no statewide backyard chicken law. Rules are set locally by cities, towns, and counties. Larger cities often allow limited hens (typically 6–50) with permits and ban roosters. Many smaller towns have no dedicated ordinance and default to general zoning, nuisance, or livestock rules. Laws change — always verify with the current municipal code, city hall, or county planning department.

Atlantic City (Atlantic County)

• Hens: Maximum 5 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Secure fence; screened from street view
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Belvidere (Warren County)

• Hens: Maximum 20 chickens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Berkeley Township (Ocean County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Brick Township (Ocean County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Rear yard; at least 15 feet from property lines
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Cinnaminson (Burlington County)

• Hens: Allowed
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Coop minimum 4 sq ft per chicken; maximum 100 sq ft

Cranford (Union County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

East Brunswick (Middlesex County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Edison (Middlesex County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Coop at least 20 feet from neighboring dwellings
• Permit: Required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Englewood (Bergen County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots; slaughter only inside garage

Evesham (Burlington County)

• Hens: Allowed
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: License required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Fair Lawn (Bergen County)

• Hens: Allowed
• Roosters: Prohibited after certain date
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: License and annual inspection required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Freehold Township (Monmouth County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Gloucester City (Camden County)

• Hens: Allowed only in RL zones
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Minimum lot size 50 ft x 100 ft; not allowed in multifamily or commercial properties

Gloucester Township (Camden County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Howell Township (Monmouth County)

• Hens: Up to 10 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Jackson Township (Ocean County)

• Hens: Up to 8 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Jersey City (Hudson County)

• Hens: Up to 50 hens (lot-size based)
• Roosters: Restricted / prohibited in most residential zones
• Setback: At least 25 feet from neighboring residence
• Permit: License required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Varies by zoning and lot size

Little Egg Harbor (Ocean County)

• Hens: Allowed (females only)
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: Registration required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Minimum lot size 7,500 sq ft

Manalapan Township (Monmouth County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Marlboro Township (Monmouth County)

• Hens: Up to 8 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Middletown Township (Monmouth County)

• Hens: Up to 8 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Millville (Cumberland County)

• Hens: Up to 12 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

New Brunswick (Middlesex County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Newark (Essex County)

• Hens: Up to 25 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Coop at least 20 feet from doors/windows of occupied premises
• Permit: Required ($10 fee)
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots; coop must have cement or watertight floor

North Brunswick (Middlesex County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Old Bridge Township (Middlesex County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Piscataway (Middlesex County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Sayreville (Middlesex County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Stafford Township (Ocean County)

• Hens: Up to 12 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Rear yard; at least 20 feet from property lines
• Permit: Required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Minimum 0.5 acre for higher limits

Summit (Union County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Toms River (Ocean County)

• Hens: Up to 12 hens on ≥0.5 acre
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Rear yard setbacks apply
• Permit: Required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Minimum 0.5 acre for higher limits

Union City (Hudson County)

• Hens: Allowed with restrictions
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: No poultry within 25 feet of any structure used for human habitation
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

Vineland (Cumberland County)

• Hens: Up to 20 hens on agricultural-zoned lots
• Roosters: Prohibited in residential zones
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required in most cases
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Varies by zoning

Washington Township (Gloucester County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

West Milford (Passaic County)

• Hens: Up to 12 hens on less than 1 acre
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Varies by lot size

Westfield (Union County)

• Hens: Up to 6 hens
• Roosters: Prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: Standard residential lots

New Jesrsey Smaller Towns & Villages Ordinances

Most smaller New Jersey towns, townships, boroughs, and villages have no dedicated ordinance and default to general zoning, nuisance, or livestock rules. Note: New Jersey has no large unincorporated areas — every location falls within an incorporated municipality (city, town, township, or borough). Hens are often allowed in limited numbers subject to no nuisance complaints; roosters are frequently restricted or prohibited due to noise.

Counties Covered

All other New Jersey counties and municipalities not listed above with specific rules (including many in Bergen, Monmouth, Somerset, Morris, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem, Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren, and Passaic counties outside major cities).

Cities and Towns

Absecon, Allenhurst, Allentown, Alpha, Asbury Park, Atlantic Highlands, Audubon, Avalon, Barnegat, Bay Head, Bayonne, Beach Haven, Belmar, Bergenfield, Bernardsville, Bloomfield, Bloomingdale, Boonton, Bordentown, Bound Brook, Bradley Beach, Brielle, Brigantine, Burlington, Caldwell, Califon, Cape May, Carlstadt, Carteret, Chatham, Cherry Hill, Chester, Clark, Cliffside Park, Clifton, Collingswood, Cranford, Cresskill, Deal, Demarest, Dover, Dumont, East Brunswick, East Hanover, East Orange, East Rutherford, Eatontown, Edgewater, Egg Harbor, Elizabeth (additional zones), Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Fair Haven, Fair Lawn, Fairview, Fanwood, Flemington, Florham Park, Fort Lee, Franklin Lakes, Freehold, Garwood, Gibbsboro, Glassboro, Glen Ridge, Glen Rock, Gloucester City, Guttenberg, Hackensack, Hackettstown, Haddon Heights, Haddonfield, Haledon, Hamburg, Hammonton, Harrington Park, Harrison, Hasbrouck Heights, Haworth, Hawthorne, Hazlet, High Bridge, Highland Park, Highlands, Hightstown, Hillsdale, Hillside, Ho-Ho-Kus, Hoboken, Holmdel, Hopatcong, Hopewell, Irvington, Jamesburg, Keansburg, Kearny, Kenilworth, Keyport, Kinnelon, Lambertville, Leonia, Lincoln Park, Linden, Little Ferry, Little Silver, Livingston, Lodi, Long Branch, Long Hill, Lyndhurst, Madison, Manasquan, Mantoloking, Manville, Maplewood, Margate City, Matawan, Maywood, Mendham, Metuchen, Middlesex, Midland Park, Millburn, Millstone, Millville, Monmouth Beach, Montclair, Montgomery, Moonachie, Morris Plains, Morristown, Mountainside, Mount Arlington, Mount Ephraim, Mount Holly, Mullica Hill, Neptune, Netcong, New Brunswick, New Milford, New Providence, Newton, North Arlington, North Bergen, North Brunswick, North Caldwell, North Haledon, North Plainfield, North Wildwood, Norwood, Nutley, Oakland, Oaklyn, Ocean City, Ocean Gate, Ocean Grove, Old Bridge, Old Tappan, Oradell, Orange, Palisades Park, Paramus, Park Ridge, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Passaic, Paterson (additional zones), Paulsboro, Peapack and Gladstone, Pennington, Pennsauken, Perth Amboy, Phillipsburg, Pine Beach, Piscataway, Pitman, Plainfield, Pleasantville, Point Pleasant, Point Pleasant Beach, Pompton Lakes, Princeton, Rahway, Ramsey, Raritan, Red Bank, Ridgefield, Ridgefield Park, Ridgewood, Ringwood, River Edge, River Vale, Riverside, Riverton, Rochelle Park, Rockaway, Roseland, Roselle, Roselle Park, Rumson, Rutherford, Saddle Brook, Saddle River, Salem, Sayreville, Scotch Plains, Sea Girt, Sea Isle City, Secaucus, Ship Bottom, Shrewsbury, Somers Point, Somerville, South Amboy, South Bound Brook, South Orange, South Plainfield, South River, Spotswood, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights, Springfield, Summit, Tenafly, Tinton Falls, Totowa, Union, Union Beach, Upper Saddle River, Ventnor City, Verona, Vineland, Waldwick, Wallington, Wanaque, Washington, Washington Township, Watchung, Wayne, Weehawken, West Caldwell, West Long Branch, West Milford, West New York, West Orange, West Paterson, Westfield, Westwood, Wharton, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Wood-Ridge, Woodbury, Woodcliff Lake, Woodland Park, Wyckoff, and hundreds of additional smaller towns and villages across New Jersey.

• Hens: No specific ordinance found
• Roosters: Generally prohibited
• Setback: Standard setbacks
• Permit: No permit required
• Lot size / Minimum acreage: No minimum acreage

New Jersey Rural & Unincorporated Areas

In New Jersey, there are no large unincorporated territories like in most other states — the entire state is divided into incorporated cities, towns, townships, and boroughs. However, many rural and semi-rural townships (especially in counties such as Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren, Burlington, Salem, Cumberland, and parts of Monmouth and Ocean) are very permissive for backyard chickens. These areas often have no strict hen limits, allow roosters on larger parcels, rarely require permits, and fall under general township zoning, nuisance, or livestock ordinances. Setbacks usually follow standard accessory-building requirements.

Always check with the specific township planning or zoning office, as some rural townships have minimal restrictions while others may limit livestock on smaller lots or enforce nuisance complaints if odor or noise becomes an issue. Cold winters and common predators like foxes, raccoons, and hawks make secure, insulated, predator-proof coops essential.

Most populated rural or semi-rural townships include: Washington Township (Gloucester County), Howell Township (Monmouth County), Stafford Township (Ocean County), Jackson Township (Ocean County), Berkeley Township (Ocean County), and many townships in Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren Counties.

Selling Backyard Eggs in New Jersey

Selling eggs from a small backyard flock is legal in New Jersey, but it is more regulated than in many neighboring states. New Jersey law requires that all eggs sold to consumers—whether from your doorstep, a farm stand, or a farmers' market—meet specific safety and transparency standards. Note that as of 2026, raw shell eggs are not covered under the New Jersey Cottage Food Permit (which is for shelf-stable goods), but are instead regulated under the state's shell egg and poultry rules.

• Licensing & Registration: Small producers (those with fewer than 3,000 birds) are generally exempt from federal USDA grading, but the NJDA requires you to register as an egg producer if you sell off-site. If you sell to retail stores or restaurants, you may need an Egg Dealer’s License.
• Grading and Sizing: New Jersey law technically requires eggs to be graded (AA, A, or B) and sized (Small, Medium, Large, etc.) according to NJDA standards. While small "doorstep" sellers are rarely penalized for minor variations, any eggs sold at farmers' markets must be sorted by size and quality.
• Labeling Requirements: Cartons must be clearly labeled with:
  • The producer’s name and address.
  • The word "Eggs."
  • The grade and size-weight class.
  • The numerical count (e.g., "One Dozen").
  • A "Sell-By" or expiration date.
• Reusing Cartons: You may reuse clean, sturdy egg cartons, but you must completely obliterate or mask any previous brand names, USDA shields, or grade markings from the original producer to avoid "misbranding" charges.
• Refrigeration: This is a critical safety rule in NJ. Eggs must be maintained at a temperature of 45°F (7°C) or lower from the time of cleaning through transportation and sale. Selling uncooled eggs at a farm stand is a common violation.
• Sales Venues: You can sell directly to consumers from your home, via a delivery route, or at farmers' markets. Sales to "institutional consumers" (like schools) or retail outlets require stricter adherence to NJDA inspection and licensing.

New Jersey State Poultry Slaughter Rules

New Jersey follows federal exemptions under the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA), allowing for small-scale slaughter for personal use. However, because New Jersey is the most densely populated state, local municipal codes often strictly regulate where and how slaughter can occur, even when state law is silent. Always check your specific city or township ordinance, as some specifically ban outdoor slaughter in residential zones.

• Personal Use: You may slaughter and process your own backyard birds on your property for the sole consumption of your household and non-paying guests. No state inspection is required for this "Personal Use Exemption." The meat cannot be sold, traded, or distributed to the public.
• Commercial Sale: Any poultry meat intended for sale must be processed at a USDA-inspected facility or a state-approved custom slaughterhouse. New Jersey does not currently have a "cottage food" equivalent for meat; selling home-slaughtered birds at farmers' markets or from your doorstep is generally prohibited without commercial licensing and inspection.
• Humane Standards: Slaughter must be conducted humanely. New Jersey law requires that birds be rendered insensible to pain (typically through stunning or a swift, professional cut) before being bled. Failure to follow humane practices can result in animal cruelty charges under NJ Title 4.
• Nuisance Laws: On-site slaughter must not create a public nuisance. This includes the proper disposal of offal and blood (which must not enter storm drains) and the mitigation of odors. Many New Jersey municipalities (like Englewood) specifically require that slaughtering be done out of public view, such as inside a garage or screened area, to avoid "disturbing the peace."

Next Step: Essential Guides for Backyard Chicken Success

With some of the tightest suburban lots in New Jersey, our space-saving 4x12 coop plans are ideal for backyarders with limited acreage. For ongoing care, view our Ultimate Backyard Chicken Coop Management Guide.