Can you keep chickens in Borough of Emerson, NJ?
Only in theory. A Board of Health license is required and the coop must sit at least 100 feet from any dwelling unit and 100 feet from any property line, which almost no Emerson lot can meet.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No stated limit |
| Roosters | Crowing roosters prohibited |
| Permit | Required: Board of Health license or permit, no fee stated |
| Coop setback | 100 feet from any dwelling unit, 100 feet from any property line, 400 feet from a food establishment |
| Lot size | No minimum stated |
Good to know
- A license or permit from the Board of Health must be obtained before keeping any live poultry, even for noncommercial purposes.
- All poultry must be confined in coops or runs located apart from any dwelling.
- At most one bird per three square feet of usable coop floor space.
- Coops need concrete or other approved floors, roosts with drop boards, and weekly removal of droppings.
Source: Borough of Emerson Code (eCode360), §§ 291-6 to 291-21, Keeping of Poultry or Other Fowl (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Borough of Emerson clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Bergen County towns
AllendaleBergenfieldBogotaCarlstadtCliffside ParkClosterCresskillDemarestDumontEast RutherfordEdgewaterElmwood ParkEnglewoodEnglewood CliffsFair LawnFairviewFort LeeFranklin LakesGarfieldGlen RockHackensackHasbrouck HeightsHillsdaleLeoniaLittle FerryLodiLyndhurstMahwahMaywoodMidland ParkMontvaleNew MilfordNorth ArlingtonNorwoodOaklandOld TappanOradellPalisades ParkParamusPark RidgeRamseyRidgefieldRidgefield ParkRidgewoodRiver EdgeRiver ValeRochelle ParkRutherfordSaddle BrookSaddle RiverTeaneckTenaflyUpper Saddle RiverWaldwickWallingtonWashingtonWestwoodWood-RidgeWoodcliff LakeWyckoff
Building a coop in Borough of Emerson?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across BergenCounty 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.