Can you keep chickens in Borough of New Providence, NJ?
Unclear. The Board of Health code bans keeping livestock, wild or exotic animals but never defines livestock or mentions chickens, so the code does not say whether backyard hens count.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Unclear |
| Hens | Not specified |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Not specified |
| Coop setback | Not specified |
| Lot size | Not specified |
Good to know
- § 333-162 bans livestock, wild and exotic animals; the code has no definition of livestock.
- § 333-165 says no keeper may let animals or fowl run at large, which mentions fowl without banning or permitting them.
- Code searches for chicken, hens, poultry, fowl, livestock, birds, coop and agricultural found no rule on keeping chickens, including in Chapter 310 Zoning.
- No pending new law (through Ord. 2026-09) touches animals; Ord. 2026-06 amends zoning for data centers only.
Source: Borough of New Providence Code (eCode360), § 333-162, Animals not permitted (Ch. 333 Art. XXVI, Sanitary Control of Animals) (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Borough of New Providence clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Union County towns
Building a coop in Borough of New Providence?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across UnionCounty 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.
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.