Can you keep chickens in City of Atlantic City, NJ?
Yes, with conditions. Up to five hens are allowed on any lot regardless of size, roosters are banned, and you need a city license plus an accessory building permit for the coop.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 5 hens |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Required: city license plus an accessory building permit |
| Coop setback | Not specified; the coop must meet the zoning rules for accessory structures |
| Lot size | No minimum stated |
| Ducks | Not allowed |
Good to know
- The article defines chickens as female chickens or hens only.
- All other poultry and livestock, including turkeys, ducks and geese, are prohibited citywide.
- Chickens must be confined in a secure structure or fenced enclosure that protects them from weather and predators.
- The coop or run has to be screened from view from the street and kept clean and odor free.
What about ducks?
No. Atlantic City bans keeping poultry, which its code defines to include ducks; the only exception is up to five hens.
§ 121-32.1 (Poultry); § 121-32.2; § 121-32.3: "No person shall shelter, maintain, keep or harbor any livestock or poultry on any property within the City of Atlantic City." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in City of Atlantic City?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Atlantic County and all of New Jersey, sized to your flock and built to your town's rules.
In an HOA? The town allowing hens is not the same as your association allowing them. What an HOA can and cannot stop.
New to this? Start with how to raise chickens in NJ, or what a coop costs.
Chicken rules in nearby Atlantic County towns
Compare them side by side in the Atlantic County table.
Ready to keep your flock safe?
Tell us about your animals and your land. We'll design a coop built to last, on-site, just for you.