ChickenMap · Ordinance lookup
Can I have chickens in Fargo, ND?
Yes, with conditions
Allowed, but with specific rules you must meet
These are the City of Fargo’s own rules, and they apply inside the city limits.
If your address is outside the city limits — a Fargomailing 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 township or county land around Fargo— see the section below. Check your parcel’s jurisdiction to know which of the two applies to you.
Inside Fargo city limits — residential zoning
Outside the city limits? See the township or county land around Fargo ↓
- Hen limit
- 6 hens
- Roosters
- Not allowed
- Permit
- Required
- Setback
- 3 ft
Permit: Annual $10 permit required, obtained through the City Auditor's office.
Coop rules: Coop must be predator-proof, well-ventilated, minimum 4 sq ft per chicken, no taller than 6 ft, plus a run/outdoor enclosure with minimum 10 sq ft per chicken. Coops and runs may not be located in the front yard. Chickens must be kept in the coop/run at all times unless under direct adult supervision. No slaughtering permitted within city limits. Full detail in Fargo Municipal Code §12-0310.
City Commission amended the Fargo Municipal Code in May 2017 to allow backyard chickens. These are the City of Fargo's own rules and they are what apply inside city limits — North Dakota's county and township livestock protections (NDCC §11-33-02.1 and §58-03-11.1) cover only unincorporated land outside the city.
Keeping a rooster here? Fargo 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 township or county land around Fargo
Different jurisdiction — the township or county land around Fargo, not the City of Fargo. This applies only if your property is outside Fargo city limits. A mailing address in Fargo 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 on township land or unincorporated county land, and both boards hold real zoning power — but the Legislature has taken farming out of their reach in identical terms. Neither a board of county commissioners nor a township board may prohibit or prevent the use of land or buildings for farming or ranching, or prevent the normal incidents of it, and the statutory definition of livestock names poultry explicitly. Whether a small household flock counts as 'farming or ranching' is the open question: the definition speaks of raising, feeding or producing livestock and poultry, which reads as production rather than a few hens for your own eggs, and no acreage floor or small-lot carve-out appears in the text. So the protection is clear for a working operation and untested for a backyard flock. Ask your township or county before assuming it covers you.
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.
Poultry sellers near Fargo, ND
B. JASPER JUNCTION POULTRY
Robinson, ND, 58478
Raises: