ChickenMap · Ordinance lookup
Can I have chickens in Albany, NY?
Yes, with conditions
Allowed, but with specific rules you must meet
These are the City of Albany’s own rules, and they apply inside the city limits.
If your address is outside the city limits — a Albanymailing address on unincorporated county land is common — your county’s code governs instead, and it may reach a different answer, particularly about roosters. We have researched the town or village next to Albany— see the section below. Check your parcel’s jurisdiction to know which of the two applies to you.
Inside Albany city limits — residential zoning
Outside the city limits? See the town or village next to Albany ↓
- Hen limit
- 6 hens
- Roosters
- Not allowed
- Permit
- Required
- Setback
- Not specified
Permit: Annual permit required, reportedly ~$20, obtained through City Clerk.
Hen-keeping legalized by ordinance effective 7/1/2019 (Ordinance No. 8.31.19); requires a Hen License Application submitted to the City Clerk. Hen limit is 6 per code reference §115-31.
Keeping a rooster here? Albany does not allow them inside the city limits, so if you are within them, a complaint is usually all it takes to start a clock. Posting him is free, and there is no sign-up form — you confirm the post by email, and that link sets up a free account so you can edit or remove it later.
This is general information compiled from public ordinances, not legal advice. Rules change — confirm with the source and your local authority before keeping birds.
Outside the city limits — the town or village next to Albany
Different jurisdiction — the town or village next to Albany, not the City of Albany. This applies only if your property is outside Albany city limits. A mailing address in Albany does not settle that — the city and the county boundary are different lines. Confirm your parcel’s jurisdiction before relying on it.
Outside the city you are in a town — every part of New York outside a city is — and that town's own zoning is what governs your birds, unless you are inside a village within it, in which case the village's zoning governs instead. The county does not zone. Its planning board reviews and recommends; it does not write the rule that binds your property, so asking the county what you may keep will not get you an answer. There are over 900 towns and 500 villages and they do not agree with each other, so the rule can change on the far side of one road. One statewide protection can override a local rule: if your land is inside a certified agricultural district, a local government may not unreasonably restrict a farm operation there unless public health or safety is threatened — but that turns on whether your birds are a farm operation and whether your parcel is actually in a district, both of which the county's agricultural district map settles. Start by finding out which town or village you are in, then ask that municipality.
Check your HOA before you buy a single chick.
Even where local ordinance allows backyard chickens, a homeowners association or deed restriction can prohibit them entirely — and HOA rules override a city’s “yes.” Read your HOA’s covenants (CC&Rs) in addition to the city/county rules on this page.