Can you keep chickens in City of Trenton, NJ?
Yes, but you need a license from the Health Officer before any birds are kept, and the site has to be inspected and approved first. The license costs $10 a year and there is no stated limit on the number of hens.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No stated limit |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Required: $10 annual Health Officer license |
| Coop setback | No distance given; the site must keep odors and sounds off neighboring property |
| Lot size | No minimum stated |
| Ducks | Same rules as chickens |
Good to know
- The Health Officer inspects and approves the site before a license is issued, and can suspend the license to abate a nuisance.
- Animals kept as pets, of a species and number usually kept as pets, are exempt from the license and fee requirement.
- Numbers are capped only by a nuisance test: the lot must be big enough to contain the animals and meet their spatial needs.
- Chickens and other poultry are banned inside community gardens under the zoning ordinance, § 315-8.4.E.
What about ducks?
Yes, with a license. Trenton's rules cover keeping any birds or animals, so ducks need the same $10 Health Officer license and site inspection as chickens.
Ch. 21, Art. III, §§ 21-23 to 21-29: "No person shall keep any birds or animals except in accordance with the provisions of this article." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in City of Trenton?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Mercer 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 Mercer County towns
Compare them side by side in the Mercer 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.