Backyard Chickens in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Can you keep chickens in Philadelphia?

Dreaming of fresh eggs from your own backyard flock in Philadelphia? Unfortunately, the City of Brotherly Love is one of the few major U.S. cities where backyard chickens remain illegal for most residents. Here's what Peggy's Happy Chickens found when we dug into the actual Philadelphia Code — and what's being done to try to change it.

Not straightforward

No — keeping chickens is generally illegal in Philadelphia. Under Title 10, Chapter 10-100 (Animals) of The Philadelphia Code, a "Farm Animal" is defined to include "any chicken, goose, duck, turkey, goat, sheep, pig, cow, or other farm animal..." and this definition explicitly excludes only cats, dogs, and horses (§ 10-101). Section 10-112, "Keeping Farm Animals," states that no person shall keep a farm animal anywhere except in a short list of specific situations — none of which cover an ordinary residential backyard.

This citywide ban on backyard chickens has been in place since 2004 (Bill No. 040566), and as of the most recent City Council sessions it remains in effect. City Council members introduced bills to reverse the ban in 2019 and again in 2022 (and advocates were pushing for a third attempt as of 2025), but none of these bills have passed into law.

Read the ordinance ↗

The rules at a glance

Hens in city limits: Restricted
How many hens: Not Allowed
Roosters: No
Permit required: No
Permit cost: Not specified
Setback from property line: Not specified

Peggy knows Philadelphia

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

Because keeping chickens (hens or roosters) is prohibited as a "Farm Animal" under § 10-112, there are no residential backyard coop specifications in the code — the activity itself is banned rather than regulated. The only situations where the code permits keeping a chicken are:

At a licensed slaughterhouse or commercial retailer of live animals sold to be killed for food;
If the animal was purchased to be killed for food and is kept no more than 24 hours;
At a zoological park;
At a veterinary hospital or clinic;
At an animal shelter;
At a circus or other licensed entertainment venue;
At a facility used for educational or scientific purposes, such as schools and laboratories; or
On a parcel of real property of 3 or more acres (this exception does not apply to pigs).

These exceptions are drawn directly from § 10-112(1)(a)-(h). A 2022 bill (introduced by then-Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr.) would have removed "chicken" from the Farm Animal definition (replacing it with "rooster" only) and allowed up to six hens per property with coop setbacks of 3 feet from property lines and 10 feet from residential buildings — but this bill died in committee without a public hearing and was never enacted, so it is not current law. Residents keeping chickens in ordinary residential areas outside the listed exceptions risk enforcement action from the city's Department of Licenses & Inspections and ACCT Philadelphia.

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in Philadelphia

🌡️ Climate

USDA Hardiness Zone 7a/7b

Philadelphia has a humid continental/humid subtropical transition climate with hot, humid summers and cold winters. Backyard coop owners elsewhere in the region should plan for temperatures that can dip into the teens (°F) in winter and climb into the 90s in summer, with high humidity year-round.

🦝 Who's after your hens

RaccoonHawkFoxOpossumSkunk

Even where chicken-keeping is legally permitted in the Philadelphia region (e.g., on qualifying large parcels), owners should be aware that raccoons are especially common and persistent urban predators, adept at opening latches and reaching through fencing. Red-tailed and Cooper's hawks are also established in the urbanized Philadelphia landscape and hunt during the day, while foxes, opossums, and skunks are increasingly reported in city and suburban Philadelphia neighborhoods.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Orpington, Australorp (cold-hardy, dual-purpose breeds suited to the Mid-Atlantic climate — relevant only to qualifying properties, such as those of 3+ acres, since ordinary backyard keeping is currently prohibited)

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

Questions people ask about Philadelphia

▸Can I legally keep chickens in my Philadelphia backyard?

No. Philadelphia Code § 10-112 bans keeping any "Farm Animal" — a category that explicitly includes chickens — everywhere in the city except in a handful of specific settings like slaughterhouses, zoos, vet clinics, animal shelters, schools/labs, or on parcels of 3 or more acres.

▸Are roosters treated differently from hens under the law?

No — under the current code, the definition of "Farm Animal" covers "any chicken," without distinguishing hens from roosters, so both are equally prohibited in ordinary residential settings.

▸Has Philadelphia tried to legalize backyard hens?

Yes. Bills to overturn the 2004 farm-animal ban and legalize hens were introduced in 2019 and 2022, and advocates were pushing for another attempt as of 2025, but none of these bills have passed City Council.

▸What happens if I keep chickens in Philadelphia anyway?

Residents who keep chickens outside the code's narrow exceptions risk being visited by ACCT Philadelphia and cited by the Department of Licenses & Inspections, which can lead to fines.

▸Is there any legal way to keep chickens within city limits?

Yes, but only in narrow circumstances: at a licensed slaughterhouse, zoo, veterinary hospital, animal shelter, circus/entertainment venue, educational/scientific facility, or on a parcel of real property of 3 or more acres.

City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with Philadelphia or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked August 28, 2026.