Backyard Chickens in St. Louis, Missouri

Can you keep chickens in St. Louis?

Thinking about keeping backyard hens in St. Louis? The city's Ordinance 70608 makes it easy for residents in residential zones to keep up to 8 hens without a permit, as long as coop size, setback, and sanitation rules are followed. Here's everything Peggy's Happy Chickens found in the actual city code.

Yes – with conditions

Yes. The City of St. Louis allows residents in residential zoning districts to keep hens under Ordinance 70608, which amended Section 10.20.015 of the Revised Code of the City of St. Louis. The ordinance permits keeping up to 8 chickens on a residential parcel free of any permit, provided the coop, enclosure, and care requirements are met.

Read the ordinance ↗

The rules at a glance

Hens in city limits: Allowed
How many hens: 8
Roosters: No
Permit required: No
Permit cost: Not specified
Setback from property line: 10 ft.

Peggy knows St. Louis

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

Under Ordinance 70608 (codified at §10.20.015 of the Revised Code):

No roosters may be kept.
Stocking density is limited to one fowl per 4 sq ft of indoor enclosure and 10 sq ft of outdoor enclosure, up to the 8-bird maximum.
A predator-proof, thoroughly ventilated coop must be provided, sized as determined by the Health Commissioner, and the interior coop space may not exceed 50 square feet.
Chickens must have access to a fenced outdoor enclosure that contains the birds and excludes dogs and other predators.
No coop may be placed in a front yard, and it must be no closer than 1.5 feet to a property line if a solid separating fence exists, or 10 feet from another lot's dwelling if a solid fence separates the lots.
Fowl may never be unenclosed or allowed to roam onto streets or adjoining properties.
Coops/enclosures must be kept clean, sanitary, free of vermin, and odor/pest-controlled, per Health Commissioner standards.
Chickens are only allowed in residential zoning districts; non-residential zones are not authorized to keep chickens under this ordinance.
If you want more than 8 chickens, you must own at least 20,000 sq ft of contiguous land and obtain an annual Small Farm Animal Permit from the Health Commissioner ($60 inspection fee), which allows one additional chicken per 1,000 sq ft of property, up to a maximum of 20 chickens.

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in St. Louis

🌡️ Climate

USDA Hardiness Zone 6b/7a (Humid Continental)

St. Louis has a humid continental climate with hot, humid summers (often in the 90s°F) and cold winters that regularly dip below freezing with occasional single-digit cold snaps. Coops should have good summer ventilation/shade plus draft-free, insulated winter protection, and predator-proof, well-drained flooring given the region's heavy spring rains.

🦝 Who's after your hens

RaccoonHawkFoxCoyoteOpossum

Raccoons are the most prevalent nuisance predator in the St. Louis area and are notorious for reaching into coop wire to attack birds. Hawks (including red-tailed hawks) hunt during the day, while foxes, coyotes, and opossums are also common threats to backyard flocks in the region, making buried-wire, fully enclosed runs and secure locking coop doors essential.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Australorp, Orpington, Rhode Island Red

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

Questions people ask about St. Louis

▸How many chickens can I legally keep in the City of St. Louis?

Up to 8 chickens are allowed per residential parcel without a permit, subject to enclosure size ratios (1 fowl per 4 sq ft indoor / 10 sq ft outdoor space).

▸Are roosters allowed in St. Louis?

No. Ordinance 70608 explicitly states that no roosters are to be kept within the city.

▸Do I need a permit to keep chickens in St. Louis?

No permit is required for up to 8 chickens. If you want more than 8, you must own at least 20,000 sq ft of contiguous land and obtain an annual Small Farm Animal Permit ($60 inspection fee) from the Health Commissioner, allowing up to 20 chickens total.

▸How far from the property line must a chicken coop be?

Coops cannot be in the front yard, and must be at least 1.5 feet from a property line if a solid fence separates the lots, or 10 feet from a dwelling on another lot if a solid fence separates the lots.

▸Can I keep chickens anywhere in the city, or only certain zones?

Chickens are only permitted in residential zoning districts; non-residential zoned properties are not authorized to keep chickens under Ordinance 70608. Check the city's zoning map or call the Zoning Section at (314) 622-3666 to confirm your zoning.

City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with St. Louis or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked August 30, 2026.