Can you keep chickens in Township of Maplewood, NJ?
Maplewood runs a capped program: up to 15 single-family households township-wide may each keep no more than 5 hens (no roosters) with a $30 annual permit and written consent from all touching neighbors.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 5 |
| Roosters | Not permitted |
| Permit | Required ($30/year Health Officer permit; application needs signed consent from all contiguous neighbors) |
| Coop setback | Coop at least 10 ft from any property line and 30 ft from a neighbor's house (unless that neighbor consents); behind the front of the house |
| Lot size | No minimum; single-family homes only |
| Ducks | Not addressed in the code |
Good to know
- The program is capped at 15 households township-wide; hens are for household eggs only, no selling of chicks, chickens, or eggs.
- Coop up to 30 sq ft and 6 ft high, with an attached run up to 36 sq ft.
- No outdoor slaughtering; no approval in an area with a known rat infestation.
What about ducks?
Unclear. Maplewood's permit program is for chicken hens only, and its general ban covers chickens and undomesticated fowl without mentioning ducks, so ask the township before keeping ducks.
§§ 113-33, 290-1: "up to 15 selected households within the Township of Maplewood will be permitted to raise no more than five chicken hens per property" Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Township of Maplewood?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Essex 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 Essex County towns
Compare them side by side in the Essex 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.