Can you keep chickens in Township of Neptune, NJ?
Yes, with a zoning permit. Since October 2024 Neptune bans livestock but allows up to 4 hens on single-family lots under 5 acres, with no roosters, a chicken-keeping class, and a rear-yard coop at least 30 feet from any neighbor's home.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 4 per lot |
| Roosters | Not allowed on lots under 5 acres |
| Permit | Zoning permit from the Zoning Officer, with proof of a chicken-keeping class; building or electric permits for the coop as needed |
| Coop setback | Rear yard only; at least 7 ft from the adjoining property line and 30 ft from any dwelling on an adjoining lot |
| Lot size | No minimum; single-family residential lots under 5 acres |
| Rule adopted | Oct 2024 |
Good to know
- Ord. 24-31, adopted 10-15-2024, bans livestock townwide but makes this exception for chickens; it did not show up in the online code search.
- Renters need the owner's written permission, and the permit ends when the owner or tenant changes.
- Coop needs 3 sq ft per bird plus an attached, covered run with 5 sq ft per bird; hens may not roam outside it.
- Feed goes in a covered metal container inside the coop, and droppings are cleaned weekly.
Source: Township of Neptune Ord. No. 24-31, Livestock Ordinance (eCode360 public documents), § 412.24(d)(4) (Ord. No. 24-31, adopted 10-15-2024) (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Township of Neptune clerk or zoning office before you build.
Building a coop in Township of Neptune?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Monmouth 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 Monmouth County towns
Compare them side by side in the Monmouth County table.
AberdeenAllenhurstAllentownAsbury ParkAtlantic HighlandsAvon-by-the-SeaBelmarBradley BeachBrielleColts NeckDealEatontownEnglishtownFair HavenFarmingdaleTownship of FreeholdBorough of FreeholdHazletHighlandsHolmdelHowellInterlakenKeansburgKeyportLake ComoLittle SilverLoch ArbourLong BranchManalapanManasquanMarlboroMatawanMiddletownMillstoneMonmouth BeachNeptune CityOceanOceanportRed BankRooseveltRumsonSea BrightSea GirtBorough of ShrewsburyTownship of ShrewsburySpring LakeSpring Lake HeightsTinton FallsUnion BeachUpper FreeholdWallWest Long Branch
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