Can I keep backyard chickens in Kennebunk, Maine?
Kennebunk's zoning has no rule specifically about backyard chickens. Raising livestock falls under 'agriculture', which is a permitted use in the Rural Conservation, Rural Residential, Coastal Residential and Suburban Residential districts. In Village Residential, agriculture is limited to crops unless the lot is 5 acres or more. State law now bars towns from banning hens on residential property, so the Village Residential limit may not be enforceable for hens.
| How chickens are classified | Not named; 'agriculture' includes raising livestock [1] |
| Suburban, Coastal, Rural Residential, Rural Conservation | Agriculture is a permitted use [2] |
| Village Residential / WKVR | Crops only, unless the parcel is 5+ acres [3] |
| Max number / roosters / coop setbacks | Not addressed in the zoning articles we reviewed [1] |
| Shoreland grazing setback | New livestock grazing areas kept 75-100 ft from water [4] |
No chicken-specific rules
We found no section on chickens, hens or poultry in Kennebunk's zoning articles or town ordinances. The closest term is agriculture: "the cultivation of the soil, production of crops, and raising of livestock" [1]. Agriculture can include animal husbandry, which the zoning defines as raising livestock for commercial purposes. The ordinance doesn't define livestock or say whether a small household flock counts as agriculture.
By district
- Suburban Residential [2], Coastal Residential, Rural Residential and Rural Conservation: agriculture is a permitted use, so keeping poultry appears to be allowed.
- Village Residential and West Kennebunk Village Residential: agriculture is limited to "field, row and specialty horticultural crops". Other kinds of agriculture are allowed only on parcels of 5 acres or more [3]. Read literally, that would rule out raising livestock on typical village lots. Maine law has barred towns since September 2025 from adopting ordinances that prohibit keeping hens on residential property, so this limit may not be enforceable for hens. Roosters aren't protected by that state law.
Other limits
- Shoreland: new livestock grazing areas can't be within 100 ft of a GPA great pond, 75 ft of other waters and coastal wetlands, or 25 ft of tributary streams and freshwater wetlands [4]. Manure can't be stored within 100 ft of water.
- Noise: the town's noise control ordinance may apply to loud animals.
- We found no limit on the number of hens, no coop setback and no permit requirement. A coop is likely an accessory building, so it would need to meet the district setbacks.
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Next steps
- Confirm your zoning district. In Village Residential, ask Code Enforcement (207-604-1303) how the town applies state law on hens.
- Place the coop outside the district's front, side and rear setbacks, as you would any accessory building.
- If you're near water, keep runs and manure storage at least 75 to 100 ft from the shoreline.
- Check any HOA rules or deed covenants, which state law doesn't override.
Common questions
- Can I have chickens in Kennebunk, Maine?
- It depends on the district. Kennebunk has no chicken-specific rule, but agriculture is a permitted use in the Rural Conservation, Rural Residential, Coastal Residential and Suburban Residential districts. Village Residential limits agriculture to crops unless the lot is 5 acres or more, though state law may override that for hens.
- Can I keep hens in Kennebunk's Village Residential district?
- The zoning limits agriculture there to crops unless the parcel is 5 acres or more. Maine law since September 2025 bars towns from prohibiting hens on residential property, so that limit may not be enforceable for hens. Ask Code Enforcement how the town applies it.
- Are roosters allowed in Kennebunk, Maine?
- The zoning articles we reviewed don't address roosters. The state hen protection law doesn't cover roosters, and the town's noise control ordinance may apply to loud animals.
- How many chickens can I have in Kennebunk, Maine?
- We found no limit on the number of hens, no coop setback and no permit requirement. A coop is likely an accessory building, so it would need to meet the district setbacks.
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
- Article 2, Definitions: Agriculture, Zoning Ordinance Article 2 - Definitions, p. 2
AGRICULTURE: The cultivation of the soil, production of crops, and raising of livestock.
- Article 8, Section 6.B(2) Suburban Residential permitted uses, Zoning Article 8 Sect 6 - Suburban Residential District, p. 1
2. The following resource production uses: 2-1 Agriculture 2-2 Horticulture 2-3 Keeping of horses
- Article 8, Section 7.B(2) Village Residential permitted uses, Zoning Article 8 Sect 7 - Village Residential / West Kennebunk Village Residential, p. 1
2-1 Agriculture, limited to field, row and specialty horticultural crops; except that on parcels of five (5) acres or more, other types of agriculture are allowed, provided that the parcel and activities upon it fully comply with the space and bulk and performance standards applicable in the Rural Residential District
- Article 10, Section 3.B(6), Zoning Ordinance Article 10 - Performance Standards, p. 2
(6) Newly established livestock grazing areas shall not be permitted within one hundred (100) feet, horizontal distance, of the normal high-water line of a great pond classified GPA; within seventy-five (75) feet, horizontal distance, of other water bodies and coastal wetlands, nor; within twenty-five (25) feet, horizontal distance, of tributary streams and freshwater wetlands.