Backyard Chickens in Pompano Beach, Florida

Can you keep chickens in Pompano Beach?

Thinking about keeping backyard hens in Pompano Beach, Florida? Unfortunately, the city's municipal code takes a hard line: chickens and other livestock are banned outright in every residential and business zoning district. Read on to understand exactly what the ordinance says and why a Pompano Beach flock isn't currently an option.

Not straightforward

No. Pompano Beach's Code of Ordinances explicitly prohibits keeping chickens (and other livestock) in residential and business zoning districts city-wide. Under § 90.24 (Keeping of Livestock/Chickens), the city bans harboring, keeping, or maintaining chickens or livestock 'on or within any residential or business district as the areas are designated and delineated on the official zoning map of the city.' The only carve-outs are for horses at the city-owned Sand and Spurs Stables/Pompano Park Racing Track, and for temporary animal displays permitted under § 90.25. Violations are penalized under § 90.99.

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 Pompano Beach

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

Because chickens/poultry are banned outright in all residential and business zoning districts under § 90.24, there are no coop, setback, or flock-size provisions in the Pompano Beach code — the keeping of the animals themselves is prohibited, not merely regulated. The ordinance carves out only two narrow exceptions: (1) horses kept at the city-owned Sand and Spurs Stables and the Pompano Park Racing Track and its adjoining stables, and (2) temporary animal displays permitted under a separate section, § 90.25.

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in Pompano Beach

🌡️ Climate

USDA Hardiness Zone 10b

Pompano Beach has a tropical/subtropical climate with hot, humid summers, mild winters, and high year-round humidity typical of coastal South Florida. Heat stress, sudden downpours, and hurricane-season storms are the primary weather concerns for any backyard livestock (were it permitted), and predator pressure from subtropical wildlife is significant.

🦝 Who's after your hens

RaccoonHawkFoxCoyoteOpossum

Even though backyard flocks are not legally permitted in Pompano Beach, residents should be aware that South Florida's urban and suburban areas host raccoons, opossums, hawks, and increasingly coyotes, all of which are known to prey on poultry and small animals in unsecured yards.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

Not applicable — chicken keeping is prohibited in Pompano Beach's residential and business districts.

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

Questions people ask about Pompano Beach

▸Can I legally keep chickens in my backyard in Pompano Beach?

No. City ordinance § 90.24 prohibits harboring, keeping, or maintaining chickens or livestock in any residential or business zoning district within Pompano Beach.

▸Is there any way to get a permit for a few hens?

The ordinance does not provide a permit pathway for residential chicken-keeping; the prohibition applies city-wide to residential and business districts with only narrow exceptions for city-owned stables and temporary animal displays under § 90.25.

▸Are roosters treated differently from hens under the code?

No — § 90.24 does not distinguish between hens and roosters; all chickens are prohibited in residential and business districts, so roosters are likewise not allowed.

▸What happens if I keep chickens anyway?

Non-compliance with § 90.24 is deemed a violation of the section, with penalties enforced under § 90.99 of the Pompano Beach Code of Ordinances.

▸Are there any exceptions in the ordinance for livestock or chickens?

Yes, but they are narrow: the code exempts horses kept at the city-owned Sand and Spurs Stables and the Pompano Park Racing Track/adjoining stables, and temporary animal displays permitted under § 90.25 — it does not create any exception for residential backyard chicken-keeping.

City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with Pompano Beach or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked September 14, 2026.