Can I keep backyard chickens in Mount Desert, Maine?
Usually yes, but in most residential districts you need conditional use approval from the Planning Board first. Mount Desert calls keeping poultry "Animal Husbandry 2". It needs no permit in the Rural/Woodland districts and isn't allowed in Village Residential 3, Resource Protection or Stream Protection. In the Village Commercial and Shoreland Commercial districts the limit is 6 hens per lot and no roosters.
| Village Residential 1-2, Residential 1-2, Shoreland Residential | Planning Board conditional use approval [2] |
| Rural/Woodland 2-3 | Allowed without a permit [2] |
| Village Residential 3, Resource Protection, Stream Protection | Prohibited [2] |
| Max hens (Village Commercial and Shoreland Commercial) | 6 per lot [4] |
| Roosters (Village Commercial and Shoreland Commercial) | Not allowed; female chickens only [5] |
| Henhouse permit (Village Commercial and Shoreland Commercial) | Building permit required [3] |
| Manure storage in the Shoreland Zone | At least 100 ft from a great pond, 75 ft from other waters and wetlands [8] |
Where you can keep hens
The ordinance defines "Animal Husbandry 2" as the care and keeping of poultry [1]. The district use table [2] shows:
- Village Residential 1 and 2, Residential 1 and 2, Shoreland Residential, Conservation: conditional use approval from the Planning Board.
- Rural or Woodland 2 and 3: allowed without a permit.
- Village Commercial and Shoreland Commercial: conditional use approval, plus the standards below.
- Village Residential 3, Resource Protection, Stream Protection: prohibited.
Rules in the commercial districts
Section 6B.19 sets detailed standards only for the Village Commercial and Shoreland Commercial districts. You need a building permit for the henhouse and pen [3]. The limit is 6 chickens per lot, no matter how many units are on it [4], and only female chickens are allowed [5]. Birds must be in an enclosure or fenced area at all times and locked in the henhouse at night [6]. Egg sales and commercial breeding aren't allowed. The ordinance sets no hen limit or rooster ban for the residential districts. The Planning Board can attach conditions when it approves your application.
Coops and the shoreland
A coop counts as a structure, so it must meet your district's setbacks. In the Shoreland Zone, manure can't be stored within 100 ft of a great pond or 75 ft of other waters and wetlands [8].
Other livestock
General "Animal Husbandry" (livestock and domestic animals) and hoofed livestock such as goats, horses and pigs need Planning Board approval in the village, residential and shoreland residential districts. They need a CEO permit in the Rural/Woodland districts and are prohibited in the commercial districts [7].
State law
Since September 2025, Maine law bars towns from banning hens on residential property. The prohibitions in Village Residential 3, Resource Protection and Stream Protection may be overridden on residential lots. See the state rules on this page.
See how Mount Desert compares with 8+ other Maine towns on backyard chickens →
Next steps
- Find your district on the Land Use District Map at the Town Office or ask Code Enforcement / Planning (207-276-5731).
- In a Village Residential 1-2, Residential or Shoreland Residential district, apply to the Planning Board for conditional use approval with a site plan showing the coop, pen and setbacks.
- In Village Commercial or Shoreland Commercial, also get a building permit for the henhouse and keep to 6 hens and no roosters.
- If you're in Village Residential 3, Resource Protection or Stream Protection, ask the town how it applies the ban given the 2025 state hen law.
Common questions
- Can I have chickens in Mount Desert, Maine?
- Usually yes, but in most residential districts you need conditional use approval from the Planning Board first. Keeping poultry needs no permit in the Rural/Woodland districts and isn't allowed in Village Residential 3, Resource Protection or Stream Protection.
- How many chickens can I have in Mount Desert, Maine?
- In the Village Commercial and Shoreland Commercial districts the limit is 6 hens per lot. The ordinance sets no hen limit for the residential districts, though the Planning Board can attach conditions.
- Can I have a rooster in Mount Desert, Maine?
- Not in the Village Commercial and Shoreland Commercial districts, where only female chickens are allowed. The ordinance sets no rooster ban for the residential districts.
- Do I need a permit for a chicken coop in Mount Desert, Maine?
- In the commercial districts you need a building permit for the henhouse and pen. A coop counts as a structure, so it must meet your district's 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
- Sec. 8, Definitions: Animal Husbandry 2, Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 105
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 2: The care and keeping of poultry.
- Sec. 3.4, Permitted, Conditional, and Excluded Uses by District (table), Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 14
Animal Husbandry 2 C C C P C C C X X X
- Sec. 6B.19.1, Permit Required, Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 68
A building permit is required for the construction of a henhouse and chicken pen.
- Sec. 6B.19.2.1, Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 68
The maximum number of chickens allowed is six (6) per lot regardless of how many dwelling units are on the lot.
- Sec. 6B.19.2.2, Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 68
Only female chickens are allowed. There is no restriction on chicken species.
- Sec. 6B.19.4.1, Enclosures, Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 69
Chickens must be kept in an enclosure or fenced area at all times. During daylight hours, chickens may be allowed outside of their chicken pens in a securely fenced yard.
- Sec. 3.4, Permitted, Conditional, and Excluded Uses by District (table), Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 15
Livestock (hoofed) C C C CEO X X C X X X
- Sec. 6C.1.2, Manure storage, Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 77
Manure shall not be stored or stockpiled within one hundred (100) feet, horizontal distance, of a great pond or within seventy-five (75) feet horizontal distance of other water bodies, tributary streams, or wetlands.