Can you keep chickens in City of Newark, NJ?
Yes. Newark allows hens with a permit from the Department of Health and Community Wellness, the permit fee is $10 a year, and roosters are banned citywide.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No stated limit |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Required: $10 annual permit from the Department of Health and Community Wellness |
| Coop setback | No part of the coop, house or runway within 20 feet of any door or window of a building people occupy |
| Lot size | No minimum stated |
Good to know
- Fowl is defined as pigeons, chickens, ducks, geese or other fowl.
- Fowl may not be kept in multi-family houses, multi-family house yards, or inside any dwelling house.
- Birds must stay confined in a house or coop with an enclosed runway, never loose.
- The coop needs a cement or other watertight floor and weekly cleaning; the runway stays unfloored.
Source: City of Newark Code (eCode360), Ch. 6:2, Art. 4, Rabbits and Fowl, §§ 6:2-28 through 6:2-37 (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the City of Newark clerk or zoning office before you build.
Building a coop in City of Newark?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across EssexCounty 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.