Can I keep backyard chickens in Bath, Maine?
Yes, with a $40 chicken license from the City: up to 6 hens, no roosters, on a lot of at least 6,000 square feet. Two city rules overlap on coop placement, and the stricter one controls, so keep the coop and run in the back yard at least 15 feet from every lot line and give the hens at least 6 square feet of coop floor each.
| License | $40, issued to the occupant (owner's written permission if you rent) [1] |
| Max hens | 6 per lot [2] |
| Roosters and other poultry | Not allowed (no ducks, geese, turkeys, peafowl) [3] |
| Minimum lot size | 6,000 sq ft (no waiver) [4] |
| Coop and run setback (Chapter 4, controls) | 15 ft from any lot line, rear areas only [4] |
| Coop setback (Land Use Code) | 10 ft from any lot line, rear yard only [8] |
| Coop floor space (Chapter 4, controls) | 6 sq ft per hen, 15 sq ft minimum [6] |
| Building permit | Needed if coop plus run exceeds 100 sq ft [5] |
License and flock limits
Bath's Animals ordinance (Chapter 4, Article 3, last amended April 8, 2026) requires a license to keep chickens. It's issued to the occupant, and renters need the owner's written permission. The fee is $40 [1]. You can keep up to 6 chickens per lot, no matter how many units are on it [2]. Roosters, ducks, geese, turkeys, peafowl and other poultry aren't allowed [3]. The hens are for personal use only: no egg sales, breeding or slaughtering. The Codes Enforcement Officer issues the license after a site inspection.
Two rules on coop placement: which applies
Chapter 4 and the new Land Use Code both regulate coops, with different numbers. Chapter 4 says the coop and run must be at least 15 feet from any lot line, only in rear areas, on a lot of at least 6,000 square feet [4]. The Land Use Code says rear yard only and 10 feet from lot lines, with 5 square feet per chicken [8]. The Land Use Code itself says that more restrictive ordinances control over it [9]. In practice, follow the stricter Chapter 4 numbers: 15 feet from lot lines and 6 square feet of coop floor per hen, at least 15 square feet total [6].
Coop and run standards
The run needs at least 10 square feet per hen (25 square feet minimum), sturdy wire buried 12 inches deep, and a covered top [7]. Chicken wire isn't allowed. The coop and run must be 4 to 7 feet tall and screened so they can't be seen from neighboring properties year-round. If the coop and run together exceed 100 square feet, you need a building permit [5]. Store no more than 3 cubic feet of manure, covered, and none within 100 feet of a waterbody or water supply.
Where hens aren't allowed
Chapter 4 bans chickens in the "Shoreline and Natural Resource Protection Overlay Zones" [5]. Those are the old code's overlay names; the new code calls the shoreland overlay the SZO, so ask the Codes Office which areas it treats as covered. Since September 24, 2025, Maine law has barred towns from adopting ordinances that prohibit keeping hens on residential property, so state law may override the overlay ban for homes in those areas. The 6,000-square-foot minimum lot size could also work as a ban on smaller lots; whether the state law reaches a lot-size rule hasn't been tested. Ask the Codes Office how it applies both rules.
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Next steps
- Confirm your lot is at least 6,000 sq ft and check whether it's in the Shoreland (SZO) overlay on the City zoning map.
- Draw a scaled site plan showing the coop and run in the back yard at least 15 feet from every lot line, plus screening and any water bodies or wells within 100 feet.
- Submit the Chicken License application with the $40 fee to the Codes Enforcement Office (55 Front Street, 207-443-8334); add a building permit if coop plus run exceeds 100 sq ft.
- Wait for the site inspection and license before bringing hens home.
Common questions
- Can I have backyard chickens in Bath, Maine?
- Yes, with a $40 chicken license from the City. You can keep up to 6 hens per lot, with no roosters, on a lot of at least 6,000 square feet. Renters need the owner's written permission.
- How far from the property line does a chicken coop have to be in Bath, Maine?
- At least 15 feet from every lot line, in the back yard only. The Land Use Code says 10 feet, but the stricter Chapter 4 rule controls, along with at least 6 square feet of coop floor per hen and 15 square feet minimum.
- Are roosters allowed in Bath, Maine?
- No. Bath's chicken ordinance doesn't allow roosters, ducks, geese, turkeys, peafowl or other poultry.
- Do I need a building permit for a chicken coop in Bath, Maine?
- Only if the coop and run together exceed 100 square feet. You still need the $40 chicken license either way.
- Can I keep chickens in the shoreland zone in Bath, Maine?
- It's unclear. Bath's Chapter 4 bans chickens in the Shoreline and Natural Resource Protection overlay zones, but since September 2025 Maine law has barred towns from banning hens on residential property, so state law may override that ban. Ask the Codes Office how it applies the rule.
Maine's backyard chicken law
Towns can't ban hens outright. Since September 24, 2025, state law (7 M.R.S. §219-D, from LD 1655) says a town or county may not adopt an ordinance that prohibits a person from keeping chickens on their own residential property.
- The law defines "chicken" as a female domesticated bird raised for meat or eggs. Fully mature roosters aren't covered, so towns can still ban or limit them.
- The law also says it does not limit a town's "home rule" authority. In practice towns appear to keep the power to regulate how hens are kept, such as how many, coop location and setbacks, and sanitation, as long as the rules don't amount to a ban. The law is new, and courts haven't yet tested how far towns can go.
- Older ordinances that ban chickens in some zones may still be on the books but conflict with this law. Ask your town how it's applying them.
Right to Farm. Maine's Right to Farm law (7 M.R.S. §151 et seq.) protects farm operations connected to the commercial production of agricultural products from nuisance claims. A small flock kept just for your own eggs likely isn't covered.
Private deed covenants or HOA rules aren't addressed by the law and may still limit chickens.
What the ordinance says
- Ch. 4, Art. 3, Sec. 4.303 License Required; Fees, Code of Ordinances Chapter 4 - Animals, incl. Article 3 Small-Scale Chicken Flocks (updated 04/29/2026), p. 14
The fee for the license shall initially be forty dollars ($40.00).
- Ch. 4, Art. 3, Sec. 4.304.A Number, Code of Ordinances Chapter 4 - Animals, incl. Article 3 Small-Scale Chicken Flocks (updated 04/29/2026), p. 15
The number of domesticated chickens kept on a lot shall not exceed six (6), regardless of the number of dwelling units on that particular lot.
- Ch. 4, Art. 3, Sec. 4.304.E No Other Poultry, Code of Ordinances Chapter 4 - Animals, incl. Article 3 Small-Scale Chicken Flocks (updated 04/29/2026), p. 15
No ducks, geese, turkeys, pea-fowl, roosters or any other type of poultry are permitted.
- Ch. 4, Art. 3, Sec. 4.305.A-B Lot Requirements, Code of Ordinances Chapter 4 - Animals, incl. Article 3 Small-Scale Chicken Flocks (updated 04/29/2026), p. 15
The minimum lot size for the keeping of domesticated chickens shall be six thousand (6,000) square feet. B. Setbacks. Coop/henhouse and the enclosure shall meet setback requirements for the zoning district where located but not less than fifteen feet (15’) from any lot line.
- Ch. 4, Art. 3, Sec. 4.305.E-F, Code of Ordinances Chapter 4 - Animals, incl. Article 3 Small-Scale Chicken Flocks (updated 04/29/2026), p. 16
Domesticated chickens are not allowed in the Shoreline and Natural Resource Protection Overlay Zones. F. Building Permit. If the combined size of the enclosure and the henhouse/coop exceeds one hundred (100) square feet, then a building permit from the Codes Enforcement Officer shall be required.
- Ch. 4, Art. 3, Sec. 4.306.B.2, Code of Ordinances Chapter 4 - Animals, incl. Article 3 Small-Scale Chicken Flocks (updated 04/29/2026), p. 16
There shall be a minimum of six (6) contiguous square feet of interior floor space per chicken with a minimum of fifteen (15) continuous square feet of interior floor space regardless of the number of chickens.
- Ch. 4, Art. 3, Sec. 4.306.C.3, Code of Ordinances Chapter 4 - Animals, incl. Article 3 Small-Scale Chicken Flocks (updated 04/29/2026), p. 17
A minimum of ten (10) contiguous square feet of exterior space per chicken shall be required with a minimum of twenty-five (25) contiguous square feet of exterior space regardless of the number of chickens.
- LUC §10.2.D Chicken Coops, City of Bath Land Use Code (new code adopted by City Council 2026-09-02, effective 2026-09-23), p. 132
1. Chicken coops are permitted in the rear yard only and must be ten feet from any lot line. 2. The chicken coop must provide a minimum of five square feet per chicken, and must include a fenced outdoor enclosure (chicken run).
- LUC §1.4.E Relation to Other Ordinances and Regulations, City of Bath Land Use Code (new code adopted by City Council 2026-09-02, effective 2026-09-23), p. 10
Unless otherwise specifically provided, this Code controls over less restrictive ordinances, regulations, or statutes. More restrictive ordinances, regulations, and statutes control over the provisions of this Code.