Can you keep chickens in City of Hackensack, NJ?
Yes, with an annual Health Department permit. Hackensack bans fowl in its residence districts except chicken hens, and any permitted fowl must be housed at least 40 feet from every part of any occupied dwelling, which rules out many city lots.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No stated limit (permit required) |
| Roosters | Prohibited in residence districts (only hens are excepted) |
| Permit | Annual Health Department permit, expires March 1 |
| Coop setback | Coop at least 40 ft from any occupied dwelling, including your own |
| Lot size | Not specified; the 40 ft rule is the practical limit |
| Ducks | Not allowed |
Good to know
- The permit application states the animals, where they will be kept and how they will be housed, and authorizes inspection.
- Birds may not run at large and the coop must be kept clean.
What about ducks?
Ducks are not allowed in Hackensack's residential districts. The city bans keeping any fowl there except chicken hens, and any fowl elsewhere needs a Health Department permit.
§§ 52-1, 52-6: "No person shall raise, keep, harbor or have in any manner whatsoever any animal or fowl (except chicken hens) listed in § 52-1 within those sections of the city zoned as Residence Districts" Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in City of Hackensack?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Bergen County 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.
Chicken rules in nearby Bergen County towns
Compare them side by side in the Bergen County table.
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.