Are Backyard Chickens Legal? Laws by State (2026)

Quick Answer

Backyard Chickens is legal in 41 states as of 2026. It's restricted with conditions in 9. Laws vary significantly — what's perfectly fine in one state can carry criminal penalties next door.

41 Legal

9 Restricted

0 Illegal

Last verified: April 2026 · About our research

Backyard Chickens Legality Map

Legal

Restrictions

Illegal

Unverified

All 50 States

State	Status	Summary
Alabama	RESTRICTED	Backyard chickens are not banned by Alabama state law, but regulations are set at the city and county level. No signific...	Details →
Alaska	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Alaska. Local ordinances are periodically updated, such as Soldotna's 2025 changes to coo...	Details →
Arizona	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Arizona. In 2024, Governor Hobbs signed House Bill 2325, which prevents municipalities fr...	Details →
Arkansas	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Arkansas. No major statewide changes have been implemented since 2023, but local ordinanc...	Details →
California	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in California. Assembly Bill 928, introduced in February 2025, proposes to limit the number ...	Details →
Colorado	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Colorado. A major change was the full implementation of HB20-1343 in 2025, requiring all ...	Details →
Connecticut	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Connecticut. A 2023 Connecticut Department of Agriculture law introduced new requirements...	Details →
Delaware	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Delaware. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023, but th...	Details →
Florida	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Florida. No major statewide legislative changes have occurred since 2023, but many cities...	Details →
Georgia	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Georgia. No significant statewide legislative changes have been enacted since 2023.	Details →
Hawaii	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Hawaii. Hawaii County passed a bill in late 2025 to officially permit and regulate backya...	Details →
Idaho	RESTRICTED	Backyard chickens are not banned by Idaho state law, but regulations are set at the city and county level. In early 2026...	Details →
Illinois	RESTRICTED	Backyard chickens are not banned by Illinois state law, but regulations are set at the city and county level. In Februar...	Details →
Indiana	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Indiana. No major statewide legislative changes have occurred since 2023, but local ordin...	Details →
Iowa	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Iowa. There have been no major statewide legislative changes since 2023, but many cities ...	Details →
Kansas	RESTRICTED	Backyard chickens are not banned by Kansas state law, but regulations are set at the city and county level. No significa...	Details →
Kentucky	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Kentucky. In February 2026, the Kentucky House of Representatives passed a bill that woul...	Details →
Louisiana	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Louisiana. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
Maine	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Maine. In 2025, a bill (LD 1655) was introduced to prevent municipalities from completely...	Details →
Maryland	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Maryland. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
Massachusetts	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Massachusetts. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
Michigan	RESTRICTED	Backyard chickens are not banned by Michigan state law, but regulations are set at the city and county level. In Februar...	Details →
Minnesota	RESTRICTED	Backyard chickens are not banned by Minnesota state law, but regulations are set at the city and county level. There hav...	Details →
Mississippi	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Mississippi. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
Missouri	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Missouri. A 2024 state law that would have allowed backyard chickens regardless of HOA ru...	Details →
Montana	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Montana. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
Nebraska	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Nebraska. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
Nevada	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Nevada. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
New Hampshire	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in New Hampshire. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
New Jersey	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in New Jersey. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
New Mexico	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in New Mexico. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
New York	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in New York. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
North Carolina	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in North Carolina. No significant statewide legislative changes have occurred since 2023.	Details →
North Dakota	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in North Dakota. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
Ohio	RESTRICTED	Backyard chickens are not banned by Ohio state law, but regulations are set at the city and county level. There have bee...	Details →
Oklahoma	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Oklahoma. Oklahoma City approved an ordinance in 2022 to allow backyard chickens.	Details →
Oregon	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Oregon. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
Pennsylvania	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Pennsylvania. In 2025, there is a renewed effort to legalize backyard chickens in Philade...	Details →
Rhode Island	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Rhode Island. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
South Carolina	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in South Carolina. A bill (H.4112) was introduced in March 2025 to allow the raising of chic...	Details →
South Dakota	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in South Dakota. In early 2026, residents in Rapid City were actively pushing for an ordinan...	Details →
Tennessee	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Tennessee. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
Texas	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Texas. A bill was introduced in 2025 that would limit the power of HOAs to ban backyard c...	Details →
Utah	RESTRICTED	Backyard chickens are not banned by Utah state law, but regulations are set at the city and county level. There have bee...	Details →
Vermont	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Vermont. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
Virginia	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Virginia. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
Washington	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Washington. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →
West Virginia	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in West Virginia. A bill (SB 805) was introduced in March 2025 to make HOA restrictions on b...	Details →
Wisconsin	RESTRICTED	Backyard chickens are not banned by Wisconsin state law, but regulations are set at the city and county level. A bill wa...	Details →
Wyoming	LEGAL	Backyard Chickens are legal in Wyoming. There have been no significant statewide legislative changes since 2023.	Details →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is keeping backyard chickens legal in the United States?

Backyard Chickens is legal in 41 states as of 2026. It's restricted with conditions in 9. Laws vary significantly — what's perfectly fine in one state can carry criminal penalties next door.

How many states allow backyard chickens?

As of 2026, backyard chickens is legal in 41 states, restricted with conditions in 9 states. Use the map and table on this page to check your specific state.

Can you travel across state lines with backyard chickens?

Crossing state lines changes which laws apply. If backyard chickens is legal in your home state but illegal in the state you're entering, you can face criminal charges the moment you cross the border. Always check the laws of every state on your route.