California Backyard Chicken Laws
California has no statewide chicken law — every city sets its own rules. Find your city below.
4
Cities allow chickens
1
Cities ban chickens
5
Cities covered
Important: California delegates all backyard chicken rules to local municipalities. Your city's ordinance is what matters — not state law. HOA covenants can also override city rules on your specific property.
Easiest cities
Strictest cities
Los Angeles
No fixed max. Commonly cited city guidance requires hens 20 ft from the owner's residence and 35 ft from neighboring residences; roosters have a larger 100 ft neighbor setback
Sacramento
Up to 3 hens. Coop/enclosure must be at least 20 ft from any dwelling unit on an adjacent parcel
San Diego
Up to 5 hens. Up to 5 hens when the coop is outside required setbacks; more hens require greater distance from property lines or residences
San Jose
No fixed max. No simple chicken-specific setback found in the reviewed animal-care sections; zoning and nuisance rules still apply
Fresno
Fresno Code Enforcement says farm animals, including chickens, are not permitted in residentially zoned districts.
About California Chicken Laws
Like most US states, California does not have a single statewide law governing backyard chickens. Each city, village, and county sets its own rules about flock size, roosters, permits, coop setbacks, and sanitation.
Always verify rules directly with your city clerk or planning department before purchasing birds or building a coop. Laws change — our pages include a last-verified date and link directly to the municipal code for each city.
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