Can you keep chickens in City of Clifton, NJ?
Yes, with a Health Department license. You can keep up to 5 fowl in a coop at least 25 feet from the neighboring property line, and crowing roosters are not allowed.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 5 fowl |
| Roosters | Crowing roosters prohibited |
| Permit | Required: $125 annual Health Department license plus $25 plan review fee |
| Coop setback | 25 ft from the adjacent property line |
| Lot size | No minimum stated |
Good to know
- The application needs the number and type of birds and a sketch of the coop or run area.
- The Health Department inspects every year; a reinspection costs $65. Licenses run July 1 to June 30.
- Licensed keepers must have a licensed pest control operator treat monthly or as the Health Officer requires.
- Waste can't sit on the ground longer than 12 hours, and slaughtering fowl in the city is prohibited.
Source: City of Clifton Code (eCode360), Chapter 203, Article VIII, Keeping of Animals (§§ 203-44 to 203-47) (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the City of Clifton clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Passaic County towns
Building a coop in City of Clifton?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across PassaicCounty 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.