Can you keep chickens in City of Elizabeth, NJ?
Only on larger lots. Elizabeth's sanitation code lets you keep chickens or other fowl only if the birds stay at least 150 feet from any residence other than your own, and a health division permit is needed above 25 birds.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 25 birds without a permit |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Required from the health division for more than 25 birds |
| Coop setback | 150 feet from any residence other than the keeper's own |
| Lot size | No minimum stated |
Good to know
- The rule sits in the city sanitation code's list of public health nuisances, not in Title 6 Animals, which covers only dogs and hunting.
- The same paragraph bans keeping live swine, pigs and goats anywhere in the city.
- Coops, runways and any place fowl are kept must be kept clean and sanitary.
- More than 25 chickens, pigeons or other fowl needs a permit from the health division.
Source: City of Elizabeth Code (Municode), § 7.44.020, Nuisances defined, paragraphs 21 and 22 (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the City of Elizabeth clerk or zoning office before you build.
Building a coop in City of Elizabeth?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across UnionCounty 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.