Can I keep backyard chickens in Harpswell, Maine?
Harpswell has no chicken-specific rules. The closest category is "agriculture" (which the ordinance defines as keeping animals for sale), and agriculture is which is allowed without a permit outside the shoreland zone and in the Shoreland Residential district, but needs a Planning Board permit in Resource Protection. There's no local limit on the number of hens and no rooster ban; manure can't be stored within 100 ft of the shore, a stream or a wetland.
| How poultry is classified | Agriculture (includes poultry and livestock kept for sale) [1] |
| Agriculture outside the shoreland zone and in Shoreland Residential | Allowed, no permit (must meet standards) [2] |
| Agriculture in Resource Protection | Planning Board permit [2] |
| Manure storage setback from water or wetlands | 100 ft [4] |
| New livestock grazing area setback | 75 ft from streams and coastal wetlands; 25 ft from freshwater wetlands [5] |
| Number of hens, roosters, licensing | Not addressed in the ordinances [1] |
| Coop (accessory structure) setback outside the shoreland zone | 20 ft from lot lines and the traveled way [6] |
How Harpswell treats chickens
None of Harpswell's ordinances mention backyard chickens, hens or roosters. The Animal Control Ordinance covers dogs only. The Definitions Addendum lists "poultry and poultry products" and "livestock" within Agriculture, defined as keeping plants or animals for sale or lease [1]. A flock kept only for your own eggs may not strictly fit that definition, but it's the closest category in the ordinances.
Where agriculture is allowed
The land use table marks agriculture "Yes" (allowed without a permit, but subject to the standards) in areas outside the shoreland zone, in Shoreland Residential, Shoreland Business and Commercial Fisheries II. It needs a Planning Board permit in Resource Protection and is prohibited in Commercial Fisheries I and the Mitchell Field Marine Business district [2]. Residential use is itself barred in Commercial Fisheries I. Inland, agriculture follows the shoreland ordinance's agriculture standards [3].
Standards that apply
- Manure can't be stored or stockpiled within 100 ft of a stream, tributary stream or wetland edge [4].
- New livestock grazing areas must stay 75 ft from streams and coastal wetlands and 25 ft from freshwater wetlands [5].
- New agriculture that involves spreading or storing manure in the shoreland zone needs a Soil and Water Conservation Plan filed with the Planning Board.
Coops
A coop is an accessory structure. Outside the shoreland zone, accessory structures must be 20 ft from lot lines and the road [6] and need a Code Enforcement permit (see the Sheds page). In the shoreland zone, the 25 ft property line and 75 ft water setbacks apply.
What isn't regulated
We found no limit on the number of hens, no rooster rule and no license requirement.
State law
Since Sept. 24, 2025, Maine law bars towns from prohibiting hens on residential property. The Planning Board permit required in Resource Protection doesn't ban hens, but state law may override any denial that amounts to a ban.
See how Harpswell compares with 8+ other Maine towns on backyard chickens →
Next steps
- Ask the Code Enforcement Office (207-833-5771) which zone your lot is in and whether the town treats a small personal flock as agriculture.
- If you're in a Resource Protection district, ask about the Planning Board permit before getting birds.
- Get a Code Enforcement permit for the coop and place it at least 20 ft from lot lines (more in the shoreland zone).
- Keep manure piles at least 100 ft from any stream, wetland or the shore.
Common questions
- Can I have chickens in Harpswell, Maine?
- Harpswell has no chicken-specific rules. The closest category is agriculture, which is allowed without a permit outside the shoreland zone and in Shoreland Residential, but needs a Planning Board permit in Resource Protection. Maine law since September 2025 bars towns from prohibiting hens on residential property.
- How many chickens can I have in Harpswell, Maine?
- The ordinances don't set a limit on the number of hens. We also found no rooster ban and no license requirement.
- Where can I put a chicken coop in Harpswell, Maine?
- A coop is an accessory structure. Outside the shoreland zone it must be 20 ft from lot lines and the road and needs a Code Enforcement permit. In the shoreland zone, the 25 ft property line and 75 ft water setbacks apply.
- Are there rules on chicken manure in Harpswell, Maine?
- Manure can't be stored or stockpiled within 100 ft of a stream, tributary stream or wetland edge. New agriculture that involves spreading or storing manure in the shoreland zone needs a Soil and Water Conservation Plan filed with the Planning Board.
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
- Definitions, Agriculture, Definitions Addendum (2026), p. 3
Agriculture – the production, keeping or maintenance for sale or lease, of plants and/or animals, including but not limited to: forage and sod crops; grains and seed crops; dairy animals and dairy products; poultry and poultry products; livestock; fruits and vegetables; and ornamental and
- Sec. 13.3 Table 1, row 13, Basic Land Use Ordinance (2026), p. 30
13. *Agriculture Yes PB Yes Yes No1 Yes No
- Sec. 11.9 Agriculture, Basic Land Use Ordinance (2026), p. 19
11.9. Agriculture. Agriculture shall be subject to the same provisions as those set forth in Section 15.13 of the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance, as may be amended from time to time.
- Sec. 15.13.2, Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (2025), p. 39
Manure shall not be stored or stockpiled within one hundred (100) feet horizontal distance of the maximum high water line of a stream, tributary stream, or the upland edge of a wetland.
- Sec. 15.13.5, Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (2025), p. 39
Newly established livestock grazing areas shall not be permitted within seventy-five (75) feet, horizontal distance, of a stream, tributary stream, and coastal wetland; within twenty- five (25) feet, horizontal distance, of a freshwater wetland.
- Sec. 11.3.1 Setback, Basic Land Use Ordinance (2026), p. 16
All accessory structures shall be set back at least twenty (20) feet from all lot lines or the edge of a traveled way, whichever is more restrictive.