Can you keep chickens in Township of River Vale, NJ?
Yes, with a license. River Vale's Board of Health fee schedule charges $30 per bird for poultry, pigeons and other fowl and sets a limit of six birds.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 6 birds |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Required: Board of Health license, $30 per bird |
| Coop setback | Not specified |
| Lot size | No minimum stated |
Good to know
- The fee line reads Poultry, pigeons and other fowl (6 limit - each animal) $30, under the Board of Health fees in the Township fee schedule.
- The six-bird limit and the fee are the only poultry provisions in the published code. The Board of Health's own sanitary code is not published on eCode360, so the conditions behind the license are not available online.
- Chapter 61, Animals, covers dog and cat licensing, rabies, pet waste and feeding wildlife only, and does not mention poultry.
- Ordinance 466-2026, the most recent amendment to the fee chapter, changed recreation camp fees only and did not touch the poultry fee.
Source: Township of River Vale Code (eCode360), § 105-5A, Fee schedule, Board of Health fees (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Township of River Vale clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Bergen County towns
BergenfieldCliffside ParkCresskillDumontEdgewaterElmwood ParkEnglewoodFair LawnFairviewFort LeeFranklin LakesGarfieldGlen RockHackensackHasbrouck HeightsHillsdaleLittle FerryLodiLyndhurstMahwahMaywoodNew MilfordNorth ArlingtonOaklandPalisades ParkParamusPark RidgeRamseyRidgefieldRidgefield ParkRidgewoodRiver EdgeRutherfordSaddle BrookSaddle RiverTeaneckTenaflyUpper Saddle RiverWaldwickWallingtonWashingtonWestwoodWoodcliff LakeWyckoff
Building a coop in Township of River Vale?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across BergenCounty 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.