Can you keep chickens in City of Hoboken, NJ?
Only with a license. Hoboken's code never uses the words chicken, hen, poultry or fowl, but it makes keeping livestock a nuisance unless the Health Officer licenses it.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Not specified |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Required: a license from the Health Officer to keep livestock |
| Coop setback | Not specified |
| Lot size | Not specified |
| Ducks | Same rules as chickens |
Good to know
- Chapter 136 does not define livestock, so whether hens count is decided by the Health Officer.
- Keeping any animal under unsanitary conditions is separately listed as a prohibited nuisance.
- Continuous barking or crying of dogs, birds or other animals is also a prohibited nuisance, which is the provision a crowing rooster would hit.
- A full-text search of the code for poultry, fowl, chicken and chickens returns only food handling and peddler references.
What about ducks?
Only with a license. Hoboken's code never mentions ducks, but the same livestock rule that reaches chickens requires a Health Officer license before keeping them.
§ 136-2A(24): "No person shall keep or harbor any livestock or unlawful wildlife unless specifically licensed to do so from by the Health Officer or pursuant to law." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in City of Hoboken?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Hudson 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 Hudson County towns
Compare them side by side in the Hudson 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.