Can you keep chickens in Township of Berlin, NJ?
Yes, but only with a special permit from the Township Council. Chickens are Class IV fowl, so you apply, notify every property owner within 200 feet, and go through a public hearing, and the coop has to sit at least 50 feet from any property line.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No stated limit |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Required: special permit from Township Council, renewed annually, fee set in Chapter 156 |
| Coop setback | 50 ft from any other property line, unless the Council grants a waiver |
| Lot size | No minimum stated |
| Rule adopted | 1994 |
Good to know
- Class IV covers chickens, turkeys, ducks, hens, cocks, pheasants and other barnyard fowl, plus pigeons.
- The application asks for the number of animals, the coop description, waste handling and the use of every adjoining property.
- The Property Maintenance Officer inspects the property, then Council holds a public hearing after newspaper notice and notice to owners within 200 feet.
- A renewal application, with the same hearing process minus the newspaper notice, is required every year.
Source: Township of Berlin Code (eCode360), §§ 87-1 to 87-7, Ch. 87, Art. I, Maintaining and Housing of Animals (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Township of Berlin clerk or zoning office before you build.
Building a coop in Township of Berlin?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across CamdenCounty 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.
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.