Can you keep chickens in Borough of Mountain Lakes, NJ?
Yes, with a Board of Health license if the coop is within 600 ft of a neighbor's house. Neighbors within 600 ft must consent, and the coop must be at least 60 ft from any dwelling or street.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No stated limit (the license application lists the number) |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Required when within 600 ft of another dwelling: Board of Health license, $25 fee |
| Coop setback | 25 ft from side and rear lot lines; 60 ft from any dwelling, business, public building, street, stream, lake or park |
| Lot size | No minimum stated |
| Ducks | Same rules as chickens |
Good to know
- Every principal occupant of a home or business within 600 ft of the coop or run must consent. Consent is assumed if no written objection arrives within 15 days of the Board's notice.
- Poultry may not run or fly at large.
- Coops must be kept dry, ventilated and cleaned daily.
- A license can be denied if the birds would harm the health of the neighborhood.
What about ducks?
Yes, with conditions. Mountain Lakes' rules cover poultry, birds or fowl of any kind, so ducks face the same 60-foot setback and, within 600 feet of a neighbor's house, a Board of Health license and neighbor consent.
§§ 257-1, 257-5; § 249-15: "No person shall keep or maintain live poultry, birds or fowl of any kind, other than song birds, rabbits, hares, guinea pigs, or animal of any kind, other than dogs and cats, within 600 feet of any dwelling house" Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Borough of Mountain Lakes?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Morris 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 Morris County towns
Compare them side by side in the Morris 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.