ChickenMap · Ordinance lookup
Can I have chickens in West Fargo, ND?
Yes, with conditions
Allowed, but with specific rules you must meet
These are the City of West Fargo’s own rules, and they apply inside the city limits.
If your address is outside the city limits — a West 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 West Fargo— see the section below. Check your parcel’s jurisdiction to know which of the two applies to you.
Inside West Fargo city limits — residential zoning
Outside the city limits? See the township or county land around West Fargo ↓
- Hen limit
- 6 hens
- Roosters
- Not allowed
- Permit
- Required
- Setback
- 10 ft
Permit: Annual $25 permit required, obtained through the West Fargo Police Department.
Coop rules: Coop must be well-ventilated, minimum 4 sq ft per chicken, no taller than 7 ft, plus a run/outdoor enclosure not exceeding 10 sq ft per chicken. Fencing around coop/run capped at 6 ft height. Chickens must be secured in the coop from sunset to sunrise daily and may not run at large. Coops and runs may not be in the front yard, must be at least 3 ft from adjacent structures and 10 ft from all property lines. Full detail in West Fargo Ordinance No. 1221, codified as §11-0112.
The West Fargo City Commission passed Ordinance No. 1221 in April 2024, explicitly legalizing backyard chicken keeping.
Keeping a rooster here? West 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 West Fargo
Different jurisdiction — the township or county land around West Fargo, not the City of West Fargo. This applies only if your property is outside West Fargo city limits. A mailing address in West 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 West Fargo, ND
B. JASPER JUNCTION POULTRY
Robinson, ND, 58478
Raises: