NJ chicken rules · Morris County
Can you keep chickens in Town of Morristown, NJ?
Morristown, the county seat, allows hens only if the coop and run sit at least 50 feet from every property line, which makes them infeasible on most in-town lots. Roosters need a Health permit, and no more than two birds may be kept indoors as pets.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No outdoor cap stated; indoors, at most 2 kept as pets and removed after 6 weeks of age |
| Roosters | Prohibited within town limits except by permit from the Division of Health |
| Permit | Written Health Division permission required to place a coop closer than 50 ft; a Health permit is required for roosters |
| Coop setback | No part of a coop, house, or run may be less than 50 ft from any property line or from a neighbor's doors and windows |
| Lot size | — (the 50-ft-from-all-lines rule is the effective constraint) |
Good to know
- Fowl must be confined in a coop with an enclosed run and may not run at large.
- This is an older Health-code provision, not a modern backyard-hen ordinance.
- A resident petition exists seeking to modernize the rule.
Source: Town of Morristown Code, Ch. 25 Health, Art. IV (eCode360), §§ 25-9.1, 25-9.2 — view the ordinance
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district — always confirm the current rules with the Town of Morristown clerk or zoning office before you build.
Building a coop in Town of Morristown?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across MorrisCounty and all of New Jersey, sized to your flock and built to your town's rules.
New to this? Start with how to raise chickens in NJ, or what a coop costs.
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