Can you keep chickens in Borough of Chesilhurst, NJ?
Yes, with a $50 annual license. The hen limit depends on lot size, from 2 hens on a 5,000 sq ft lot up to 12 on 60,000 sq ft, and the coop must be in the rear yard.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | 2 to 12 hens by lot size, plus 1 per extra 20,000 sq ft |
| Roosters | Not covered: the code defines chicken as hens and not roosters |
| Permit | Required: $50 annual license plus online processing fee |
| Coop setback | Rear yard; 15 ft from a neighbor's home; 5 ft from property lines |
| Lot size | Min. 0.11 acres (5,000 sq ft for 2 hens) |
| Rule adopted | June 2023 |
Good to know
- Limits: 5,000 sq ft 2 hens, 10,000 sq ft 3, 15,000 sq ft 4, 20,000 sq ft 5, 30,000 sq ft 6, 40,000 sq ft 8, 60,000 sq ft 12.
- Coop and run max 100 sq ft and 6 ft tall unless a building permit is obtained.
- Selling eggs on residential property is prohibited; renters need the owner's written consent.
- Farmland-assessed property is exempt from these rules.
Source: Borough of Chesilhurst Code (eCode360), Ch. 116, Art. I, §§ 116-1 to 116-1.7, Keeping of nondomesticated animals (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Borough of Chesilhurst clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Camden County towns
Compare them side by side in the Camden County table.
AudubonBarringtonBellmawrBorough of BerlinTownship of BerlinBrooklawnCity of CamdenCherry HillClementonCollingswoodGibbsboroGloucesterHaddonHaddon HeightsHaddonfieldLaurel SpringsLawnsideLindenwoldMagnoliaMerchantvilleMount EphraimOaklynPennsaukenPine HillRunnemedeSomerdaleStratfordVoorheesWaterfordWinslowWoodlynne
Building a coop in Borough of Chesilhurst?
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.