NJ chicken rules · Morris County
Backyard chicken rules in Morris County, NJ
Every town in Morris County sets its own rule. Of the 39 we have read, 34 allow backyard hens outright or with conditions, 5 ban them. Each town page cites the ordinance it comes from.
| Town | Hens | Roosters | Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Boonton | Up to 5 poultry (hard cap) | Prohibited | None for 5 or fewer birds |
| Township of Boonton | No stated limit | Not specified | Board of Health special permit to keep more than two pet animals on under 5 acres (Ch. 160); unclear whether hens count |
| Borough of Butler | 1 per acre, with 60 sq ft of housing per bird, once you meet the 5-acre floor | Not specified | No health permit in residential districts; conditional-use approval needed outside them |
| Township of Chatham | No numeric cap (gated by the 5-acre requirement) | Not specified | Not specified (governed through zoning) |
| Borough of Chatham | Not permitted | Prohibited | Not available (chickens are banned) |
| Borough of Chester | No numeric limit (intensive poultry over 100 animals is a prohibited use) | Not specified | Not specified (treated as a permitted agricultural use under land-development standards) |
| Chester Township | No stated limit | Not specified | Not specified (permitted by right) |
| Denville Township | Not allowed under 5 acres | Not specified | Not specified |
| Town of Dover | Not permitted | Not permitted | Not available |
| Township of East Hanover | No numeric limit on a qualifying farm | Not specified | Special written permission from the Township Department of Health |
| Borough of Florham Park | Up to 4 per 0.33 acre (about 12 per acre); all fowl combined | Prohibited | Health Department permit required (Ch. 265) |
| Township of Hanover | No numeric cap (gated by lot size) | Not specified | None named |
| Township of Harding | No numeric limit | Not specified | Not specified (treated as a permitted agricultural use) |
| Jefferson Township | 5 (≤1 acre) up to 10 (2+ acres) | Prohibited (except farmland-assessed property) | Not specified |
| Borough of Kinnelon | Up to 12 with the 100-ft setback; more than 12 needs the 400/300-ft building | Crowing roosters only in a building 400 ft from the street and 300 ft from property lines | None stated |
| Borough of Lincoln Park | Up to 8 hens | Prohibited | Required: $25 annual license plus a zoning permit |
| Township of Long Hill | Up to 4 | Prohibited | None required for the birds (building and zoning permits apply to the coop) |
| Borough of Madison | Up to 6 mature hens per permit | Prohibited | Required (Health Department permit, $25/year, plus conditional zoning approval first) |
| Borough of Mendham | No numeric limit | Not specified | Required (free written license from the Borough Clerk, valid one year, based on suitability of the premises) |
| Mendham Township | No numeric limit found | Not specified | Not specified |
| Township of Mine Hill | Up to 20 on 2 acres; 20 more per added acre | Not specified | Not specified |
| Montville Township | Up to 8 fowl (more on farms) | Prohibited (except on 5+ acre lots) | Not required (permitted outright) |
| Township of Morris | Up to 20 fowl on the first 3 acres, plus 1 acre per additional 20 fowl | Not specified | None named (enforced by Health Department and zoning) |
| Borough of Morris Plains | Up to 6 hens | Prohibited | Required: accessory building permit for the coop or enclosure |
| Town of Morristown | No outdoor cap stated; indoors, at most 2 kept as pets and removed after 6 weeks of age | Prohibited within town limits except by permit from the Division of Health | Written Health Division permission required to place a coop closer than 50 ft; a Health permit is required for roosters |
| Borough of Mount Arlington | Up to 32 per acre (32 bird units) | Not prohibited; each rooster counts as 1 bird unit | Not specified |
| Mount Olive Township | No stated limit for backyard flocks | Not specified | Not specified |
| Borough of Mountain Lakes | No stated limit (the license application lists the number) | Not specified | Required when within 600 ft of another dwelling: Board of Health license, $25 fee |
| Borough of Netcong | Up to 20 on 1 acre; 20 more per added acre | Not specified | Not specified |
| Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills | No numeric limit (permitted only as agriculture) | Not specified | None (agricultural use is a zoning permitted use) |
| Township of Pequannock | Up to 10 female chickens (residential lots up to 3 acres) | Prohibited | None required (standards apply by right) |
| Randolph Township | No head-count limit (governed by acreage) | Not specified | Not specified |
| Borough of Riverdale | Up to 3 per acre | Crowing roosters prohibited | Required: Board of Health license or permit |
| Borough of Rockaway | No numeric limit (each license lists the kind and number of birds) | Not specified | Board of Health license required if poultry are kept within 100 ft of a neighbor's dwelling, or for sale |
| Rockaway Township | 4 (<1 acre), 10 (1–3 acres), 24 (>3 acres) | Prohibited | Zoning permit required |
| Roxbury Township | 3 hens (15,000+ sq ft) up to 6 (40,250 sq ft–5 acres) | Prohibited | Required: zoning permit (plus construction permits for the coop) |
| Borough of Victory Gardens | Not permitted | Prohibited | Not available (chickens are banned) |
| Washington Township (Morris) | Not specified (no residential backyard provision) | Not specified | Not specified |
| Borough of Wharton | 5 to 12 hens, based on lot size | Prohibited on lots under 5 acres | Required: zoning permit, then a $25 annual license from the Borough Clerk |
Rules come from each town's municipal code and are cited on the town's own page. Ordinances change, so confirm with your town before you build. See every NJ town.
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