Can you keep chickens in Borough of Totowa, NJ?
Yes, with a Board of Health license. You can keep up to 10 chickens at $1 per bird per year, and the coop must be 25 feet from neighboring doors and windows and 10 feet from the property line.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 10 fowl |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Required: Board of Health license, $1 per bird per year |
| Coop setback | 25 ft from neighboring doors or windows, 10 ft from neighboring property lines |
| Lot size | No minimum stated |
Good to know
- No runs are allowed. A wire porch on the coop is allowed if it sits at least 1 foot off the ground and extends no more than 4 feet.
- The license runs to January 1 and cannot be transferred. The application needs a sketch of the property and the number of birds.
- Coops must meet the building code, have a moisture-proof floor and be kept clean. Manure must be stored in covered metal containers or another approved way.
- Fowl may not be kept inside a home or run at large.
Source: Borough of Totowa Code (eCode360), §§ 425-6 to 425-10, Keeping of Animals; Licensing of Fowl (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Borough of Totowa clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Passaic County towns
Building a coop in Borough of Totowa?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across PassaicCounty 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.