ChickenMap · Ordinance lookup
Can I have chickens in Bronx, NY?
Yes
Backyard hens are allowed here
These are the City of Bronx’s own rules, and they apply inside the city limits.
If your address is outside the city limits — a Bronx mailing 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 not verified the county rule for this area. Check your parcel’s jurisdiction before relying on anything on this page.
Inside Bronx city limits — residential zoning
- Hen limit
- Not specified
- Roosters
- Not allowed
- Permit
- Not required
- Setback
- Not specified
The Bronx follows the New York City Health Code, which applies identically in all five boroughs — there is no separate Bronx ordinance. Keeping hens is allowed, without a permit and without a limit on numbers. Roosters are prohibited by name, as are ducks, geese and turkeys. The practical limits are the general ones: your setup must stay clean, and odour, pests or noise can be enforced against as a nuisance.
Keeping a rooster here? Bronx 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.
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.