Can you keep chickens in Borough of Northvale, NJ?
No. Northvale's Board of Health code bans keeping any live fowl or poultry in the borough. The only exception is chickens kept by the Board of Education at the public school.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | No |
| Hens | Not permitted |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Not available (chickens are banned) |
| Coop setback | Not applicable |
| Lot size | Not specified |
| Rule adopted | Aug 2025 |
Good to know
- § 209-1 bars keeping any live fowl or livestock on any premises in the borough.
- § 209-3 puts poultry and other fowl in Class IV, and § 209-5 says no Class IV animal may be kept.
- The 2025 amendment added one exception: school chickens in the Northvale Public School courtyard.
- Zoning lists residential agriculture as an accessory use, but the zoning code defines it as growing plants only.
Source: Borough of Northvale Code (eCode360), Ch. 209, Art. I, §§ 209-1 to 209-5, Animals (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Borough of Northvale clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Bergen County towns
Compare them side by side in the Bergen County table.
AllendaleAlpineBergenfieldBogotaCarlstadtCliffside ParkClosterCresskillDemarestDumontEast RutherfordEdgewaterElmwood ParkEmersonEnglewoodEnglewood CliffsFair LawnFairviewFort LeeFranklin LakesGarfieldGlen RockHackensackHarrington ParkHasbrouck HeightsHaworthHillsdaleHo-Ho-KusLeoniaLittle FerryLodiLyndhurstMahwahMaywoodMidland ParkMontvaleMoonachieNew MilfordNorth ArlingtonNorwoodOaklandOld TappanOradellPalisades ParkParamusPark RidgeRamseyRidgefieldRidgefield ParkRidgewoodRiver EdgeRiver ValeRochelle ParkRockleighRutherfordSaddle BrookSaddle RiverSouth HackensackTeaneckTenaflyUpper Saddle RiverWaldwickWallingtonWashingtonWestwoodWood-RidgeWoodcliff LakeWyckoff
We build across Bergen County
Borough of Northvaledoesn't allow backyard chickens today, but ordinances change, and we build custom sheds and animal structures on-site throughout BergenCounty and all of New Jersey. If a coop is in your plans, we can help you sort out where it's allowed nearby.
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