Can you keep chickens in Borough of Carteret, NJ?
Unclear. Carteret's code has a Poultry chapter, but it only licenses the business of selling and slaughtering live fowl and says nothing about keeping a few hens in a backyard.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Unclear |
| Hens | Not specified |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Not specified |
| Coop setback | Not specified |
| Lot size | Not specified |
Good to know
- Chapter 312, Poultry, requires a $25 yearly Board of Health permit to prepare, sell or slaughter live fowl as a business.
- Chapter 118, Dogs and Other Animals, covers dogs, pet waste, wildlife feeding and pet shops only.
- Searches of the full Carteret code for poultry, fowl, chickens, livestock and agriculture found no residential keeping rule.
- Because the code is silent, ask the Borough Board of Health and the zoning officer before building a coop.
Source: Borough of Carteret Code (eCode360), Ch. 312, Poultry, § 312-1, Permit required; fee; expiration (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Borough of Carteret clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Middlesex County towns
Building a coop in Borough of Carteret?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across MiddlesexCounty 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.