Backyard Chickens in Bellevue, Washington

Can you keep chickens in Bellevue?

Thinking about keeping backyard hens in Bellevue, Washington? The city's Land Use Code allows up to six fowl as household pets on any residential lot — no minimum lot size required — making it one of the more approachable Eastside cities for a small flock. Just keep coops and runs at least 15 feet from your property line, and you're on your way to fresh eggs in the shadow of the Cascades.

Yes – with conditions

Yes. Under the City of Bellevue's Land Use Code § 20.20.130 (Animal Keeping and Services), fowl are classified as "Household Pets" and are allowed on any residential lot with no minimum lot size, up to a maximum of six (6) birds. The code table lists "Fowl: 6" under the Household Pets category, with a note that "more than six fowl are regulated as small domestic animals," which triggers additional minimum lot size (10,000+ sq. ft.) and setback requirements. The current code text does not distinguish between hens and roosters when counting fowl, and a 2013 City Council staff report confirmed that "the city's code does not prohibit ownership of noisy fowl such as roosters and peafowl," although a 2013 council motion directed staff to explore a rooster-specific amendment. No separate poultry-keeping permit is required for keeping up to six fowl as household pets under § 20.20.130; exceeding six fowl shifts the use into the "Small Domestic Animals" category with its own lot-size and setback thresholds.

Read the ordinance ↗

The rules at a glance

Hens in city limits: Allowed
How many hens: 6
Roosters: Not Specified
Permit required: No
Permit cost: Not specified
Setback from property line: 15 ft.

Peggy knows Bellevue

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

Under Bellevue Land Use Code § 20.20.130(B), the "Animal Regulations" chart sets these standards for fowl kept as household pets (6 or fewer):

No minimum lot size is required to keep up to 6 fowl.
15-foot setback: Fowl "may not be restrained or enclosed outdoors so that the animal is able to come within 15 feet of a property line," and "no structure to house the household pet may be within 15 feet of a property line."
Fenced-yard exception: This 15-foot limit does not apply if the entire lot (or an enclosed portion using the house as one wall) is fenced along all lot lines, in which case the birds may roam freely within the fenced area, including pasture/foraging that "may extend to the property line."
More than 6 fowl are reclassified as "Small Domestic Animals," requiring a minimum 10,000 sq. ft. lot (plus an additional 1,500 sq. ft. per bird over 6, up to 10 birds on 20,000+ sq. ft. lots) and a larger 25-foot setback from property lines.
Prohibited animals: Separately, Bellevue prohibits the keeping of mink, foxes, or hogs citywide.
All animal keeping remains subject to Bellevue City Code (BCC) Title 8, Animal Care and Control, including general nuisance/noise provisions that the city has used to address noisy rooster complaints on a case-by-case basis.

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in Bellevue

🌡️ Climate

USDA Hardiness Zone 8b (Marine West Coast / Puget Sound lowland climate)

Bellevue sits in the mild, wet Puget Sound lowlands. Winters are cool and rainy (rarely below the mid-20s°F) and summers are mild and relatively dry. The biggest poultry-keeping challenges are persistent fall-through-spring dampness (mud, coop moisture, and frostbite risk on combs during rare cold snaps) rather than extreme heat or cold. Good coop ventilation combined with draft-free, dry bedding and covered/raised runs to manage rain and mud are the top priorities for local keepers.

🦝 Who's after your hens

RaccoonHawkCoyoteOpossumWeasel

Suburban Bellevue backyards back up to greenbelts, creeks, and wooded parks (e.g., Mercer Slough, Lake Hills Greenbelt), so raccoons, opossums, and weasels are frequent nighttime coop intruders, while red-tailed hawks and other raptors pose a daytime threat to free-ranging birds. Coyotes have become increasingly common in Eastside neighborhoods and can breach unsecured runs. Predator-proof wire (hardware cloth rather than chicken wire), secure locking latches, and a fully covered run are strongly recommended.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

Orpington, Australorp, Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Ameraucana

Our package comes with two Rhode Island Reds – hardy in heat and cold, and friendly with kids.

Questions people ask about Bellevue

▸How many chickens can I legally keep in Bellevue?

Up to six fowl are allowed as "household pets" on any residential lot with no minimum lot size under Bellevue Land Use Code § 20.20.130. Keeping more than six reclassifies your flock as "small domestic animals," which requires a larger minimum lot size (10,000+ sq. ft.) and a 25-foot setback instead of 15 feet.

▸Are roosters allowed in Bellevue?

Bellevue's Land Use Code does not separately define or prohibit roosters — it simply caps total "fowl" at six as household pets. A City of Bellevue council news report from 2013 confirmed that "the city's code does not prohibit ownership of noisy fowl such as roosters and peafowl," though a noisy rooster can still be addressed as a nuisance/noise complaint by code compliance or King County Animal Control on a case-by-case basis.

▸Do I need a permit to keep backyard chickens in Bellevue?

No permit is specified in LUC § 20.20.130 for keeping up to six fowl as household pets. If you want to keep more than six birds, that use shifts into the "Small Domestic Animals" category, which comes with its own lot-size and setback standards under the same code section.

▸How far must my coop be from the property line?

For six or fewer fowl (household pets), no housing structure may be within 15 feet of a property line, and the birds themselves may not be enclosed or restrained within 15 feet of the line unless the yard is fully fenced along its perimeter, in which case they may roam freely within the fenced area.

▸What other animals does Bellevue prohibit outright?

Separate from the fowl rules, LUC § 20.20.130(C) prohibits keeping mink, foxes, or hogs anywhere in the city.

City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with Bellevue or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked September 22, 2026.