ChickenMap · Ordinance lookup
Can I have chickens in Brooklyn, NY?
Yes
Backyard hens are allowed here
These are the City of Brooklyn’s own rules, and they apply inside the city limits.
If your address is outside the city limits — a Brooklyn 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 Brooklyn city limits — residential zoning
- Hen limit
- Not specified
- Roosters
- Not allowed
- Permit
- Not required
- Setback
- Not specified
Brooklyn is a borough of New York City, so the citywide NYC Health Code applies — there is no separate Brooklyn poultry ordinance. Hens are allowed: the Health Code names roosters, ducks, geese and turkeys as birds you may not keep, and says nothing restricting hens. There is no numeric limit and no permit for keeping hens at home; the permits in this article reach commercial animal businesses only. Keeping conditions still have to be sanitary, and nuisance conditions such as odour, pests or noise can draw a fine.
Keeping a rooster here? Brooklyn 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.