Tag: Ordinances

Chicken Keeping City Ordinances Phoenix AZ 2025

A good example of a backyard coop for 6 chickens
  • Poultry & Rodents (Section 8-7) phoenix.municipal.codes
  • Recent Changes: Ordinance (G-1367) & State Law : 2024 (HB 2483)

Restrictions

No coop/enclosure can be within 20 feet of a neighboring property line — unless you get written permission from the neighbor.
Poultry cannot be kept in the front yard; coops/enclosures must be in the side or rear yard.
Enclosures must prevent the birds from wandering onto neighboring properties.
Up to 6 poultry (or 25 rodents, or a combo) are allowed on a lot ½ acre or less, unless you get written permission from neighbors to have more.
If your lot is larger, you can keep more: for each additional ½-acre, you can have 20 more birds (or 25 rodents, or combination).
Roosters (male poultry) are not allowed unless they are incapable of making loud vocal noises (i.e., no crowing).
Enclosures must be kept clean so there is no offensive or noxious smell that affects neighbors.

Sanitation & Maintenance (Section 8-8)

Manure and droppings must be removed from the pen/coops at least twice weekly, and removed from the property at least twice a week.
The area must not become a health nuisance — meaning no bad odors, no vermin, no accumulation of refuse, etc.
The premises (coop/pen) are subject to inspection by the City Health Officer.
Animals (including poultry) may not run at large; they must be confined.

Minimum Lot Size (Section 8-10)

Generally, you need at least 10,000 square feet of lot area to legally keep certain “animals” under the ordinance.
However: poultry may be kept on smaller lots (< 10,000 sq ft) if you get written permission from all neighbors (occupants and owners of adjacent lots).

Penalties

Violating the keeping-of-animals rules (including the poultry rules) can result in a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Alternatively, the city prosecutor may treat some cases as civil violations, with fines ranging from $150 to $2,500.

Recent Changes to Be Aware Of

Ordinance G-1367: Several of the current rules (8-7, 8-8, 8-9, 8-10) were amended under this ordinance.
State Law (HB 2483): In 2024, Arizona passed a law that limits how restrictive cities can be with backyard chicken rules. Specifically: municipalities cannot ban single-family homeowners (on lots ½ acre or smaller) from keeping fowl.
Because of that, Phoenix’s regulations must align — so some restrictions (like total bans) are not allowed anymore under state law. (Arizona Legislature)

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Keeping Urban Chickens and the Law

Urban chicken keeping is quite popular, your neighbors might even have chickens and you don’t even know it! Chickens are quiet, it’s roosters that are loud and become the neighborhood nuisance. Every city has laws about keeping backyard chickens, but they are seldom if ever enforced unless there’s a complaint. So, no roosters!
There have to be laws and be glad there are, nobody wants to have a neighbor with a gazillion birds stinking up the neighborhood. But I can assure you there aren’t any chicken police knocking on the doors of keepers having a few birds responsibly kept in a clean and secure environment.
Let’s be realistic if you live in a suburban subdivision where the houses are only a few feet apart and you pay an HOA – keeping chickens is a bad choice. Keeping chickens under the radar is also a bad idea, you could have your chickens confiscated by authorities, be fined, or both. However, if keeping chickens is allowed in your city and you have a spacious, private, and fenced backyard, a few hens won’t cause a disturbance. But, there are still rules and unwritten laws to follow.
Your hens should be completely out of sight from all neighbors and the public. That means building a privacy fence or planting bushes that add appeal to your property. It’s never a good idea to draw attention to the fact you are keeping chickens as not everybody will graciously welcome them. Many people believe they harbor disease, smell, attract flies, and rodents, and the list goes on and on. You should have enough space for your hens to be confined in a fenced area attached to a coop or shelter.
My rule of thumb is to keep birds no less than 40 feet from your neighbor’s house, even if the ordinance in your city requires less.  If you can do this, there shouldn’t be a problem with neighbors unless you fail to keep them clean or confined.
Remember, the law may give you the right to keep chickens, but nuisance laws give your neighbors the same right to say you can’t. Be responsible, clean, and maintain your small flock with integrity.

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