Backyard Chickens in Long Beach, California

Can you keep chickens in Long Beach?

Long Beach is one of the more chicken-friendly cities in Los Angeles County, allowing households to keep a substantial flock as long as they follow the city's spacing, permitting, and sanitation rules laid out in Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 6.20.

Yes – with conditions

Yes — Long Beach allows backyard chickens. No person may keep or maintain more than a total of twenty (20) live fowl or any combination of such animals on any lot or parcel of land within the city (LBMC § 6.20.020). However, roosters are not allowed under the city's crowing-fowl prohibition. No person shall have, keep, maintain, or have in possession or under control, on residential property within the City, five (5) or more live chickens without first applying to and receiving from the Animal Care Services Bureau a permit to do so, and permits issued under this Section are subject to a pre-inspection requirement (LBMC § 6.20.120). Setback distances from a neighbor's dwelling scale with flock size: up to four hens must be 10 feet away from a neighboring property; five to 10 must be kept 35 feet away, and 11 to 20 must be 50 feet away (LBMC § 6.20.140).

Read the ordinance ↗

The rules at a glance

Hens in city limits: Allowed
How many hens: 20
Roosters: No
Permit required: Yes
Permit cost: $240
Setback from property line: 10 ft.

Peggy knows Long Beach

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

Flock cap: No person shall keep or maintain more than a total of twenty (20) live fowl or any combination of such animals on any lot or parcel of land within the city (§6.20.020).
Permit trigger: Keeping five (5) or more live chickens on residential property requires first applying to and receiving a permit from the Animal Care Services Bureau, subject to a pre-inspection requirement (§6.20.120). Flocks of 1-4 chickens do not need a permit.
Permit fee: The Urban Agriculture Fee for chickens (5-20) is $240.00, each, and per city reporting this covers a one-time inspection fee required for more than five chickens.
Graduated setbacks: Up to four hens must be 10 feet away from a neighboring property; five to 10 must be kept 35 feet away, and 11 to 20 must be 50 feet away (§6.20.140). A single pet fowl kept alone must be at least 20 feet from any neighboring dwelling.
Enclosure size: Adequate enclosure or fencing must be provided to contain live chickens on the property to prevent escape, and the enclosure must be a minimum size of ten (10) square feet of permeable land per chicken (§6.20.130).
Shelter: Adequate shelter must be provided to protect the chickens from the elements, and to prevent wildlife or other predators from gaining entry.
Roosters/crowing fowl: Roosters are not allowed in the city to minimize noise disturbances.
Sanitation: Coops, pens and yards must be kept clean and sanitary with manure/debris removed daily, per §6.20.060.

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in Long Beach

🌡️ Climate

Mediterranean / USDA Hardiness Zone 10b-11a (coastal Southern California)

Long Beach enjoys a mild, dry Mediterranean climate with warm summers, cool wet winters, and a coastal marine layer that keeps temperature swings modest year-round. Frost is rare, so chickens generally need shade and ventilation more than winter insulation.

🦝 Who's after your hens

RaccoonHawkOpossumCoyoteSkunk

Urban Long Beach yards commonly see nighttime visits from nocturnal predators like raccoons, along with opossums and skunks, so secure, locking coops are essential. Hawks patrol from above, and coyotes are increasingly seen in neighborhoods near parks, greenbelts, and the Los Angeles River channel, making fully covered runs important for daytime and nighttime protection alike.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

Leghorns, Australorps, Easter Eggers, Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rocks

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

Questions people ask about Long Beach

▸How many chickens can I keep in Long Beach?

No person may keep more than a total of twenty (20) live fowl on any lot or parcel of land within the city, though setback rules make larger flocks harder to site on typical residential lots.

▸Are roosters allowed in Long Beach?

No. Roosters are not allowed in Long Beach in order to minimize noise disturbances to neighbors.

▸Do I need a permit to keep chickens?

Only if you keep 5 or more. Keeping five or more live chickens on residential property requires a permit from the Animal Care Services Bureau and a pre-inspection; flocks of 1-4 birds do not need one.

▸How far must the coop be from my neighbor's house?

It depends on flock size: up to four hens must be 10 feet away from a neighboring property; five to 10 must be kept 35 feet away, and 11 to 20 must be 50 feet away.

▸How much space does each chicken need in the coop/run?

Enclosures must be sized at a minimum of ten (10) square feet of permeable land per chicken, and shelter must protect birds from weather and predators.

City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with Long Beach or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked August 3, 2026.