Can you keep chickens in Borough of Sussex, NJ?
Sussex Borough lets you keep hens (no roosters) with a $12/year license, with the number of birds set by your lot size and the coop kept at least 5 feet from lines and neighboring homes.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | By lot size: 2 (5,000 sf), 3 (10,000), 4 (15,000), 5 (20,000), 6 (30,000), 7 (40,000), 8 (60,000), plus 1 per additional 20,000 sf |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Required ($12/year Borough license; renters need written owner consent) |
| Coop setback | Coop and run at least 5 ft from any property line and 5 ft from the nearest other residence; rear yard only |
| Lot size | No minimum; the smallest tier is 5,000 sq ft for 2 birds |
| Ducks | Same rules as chickens |
Good to know
- Combined coop and run may not exceed 100 sq ft or 6 ft high.
- Selling eggs or chicken by-products is prohibited.
- Ducks, geese, and pigeons are allowed only if not a nuisance; farmland-assessed property is exempt.
What about ducks?
Yes, with a license. Sussex Borough's rule covers chickens and other egg-laying poultry, so female ducks count toward the same lot-size limit and license, and must not be kept in a way that creates a nuisance.
§§ 5-27, 5-28, 5-31: "No person shall keep any female ducks, guinea fowl, geese, pigeons, birds, or other egg-laying fowl within the Borough of Sussex in" Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Borough of Sussex?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Sussex 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 Sussex County towns
Compare them side by side in the Sussex County table.
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.