Can I keep backyard chickens in Portland, Maine?
Yes. Portland lets residents keep up to 6 hens per lot (no roosters), for personal use only. Hens must stay in a covered pen during the day and in a henhouse at night. The henhouse goes in the rear yard, at least 10 feet from homes and other structures on neighboring lots, and must meet accessory-structure setbacks. The city repealed its chicken permit in 2017.
| Max number of chickens | 6 per lot, regardless of the number of dwelling units [2] |
| Roosters | Not allowed (female chickens only) [2] |
| Chicken permit | Repealed in 2017 (Sec. 5-401 now reserved) [1] |
| Commercial use | Prohibited: no selling eggs, breeding, or slaughtering [3] |
| Pen construction | Sturdy wire fencing buried at least 12 inches; covered top [4] |
| Henhouse distance from neighbors' structures | At least 10 feet [5] |
| Henhouse location | Rear yard only (side yard if no rear yard); never the front yard [6] |
| Stored manure | No more than one 20-gallon covered container [8] |
| Fine for violations | $100 civil fine; each day is a separate offense [9] |
How many and what kind
Chapter 5, Article IV is written to let residents keep "a small number of female chickens on a non-commercial basis." The limit is six chickens per lot no matter how many units are on the lot, and only females are allowed, so no roosters [2]. Chickens are kept as pets and for personal use. Selling eggs, commercial breeding, and slaughtering are prohibited [3].
Permit
The chicken permit section (Sec. 5-401) is marked "Reserved" with the note "Chicken permit repealed" by an August 2017 ordinance [1]. Sec. 412 still mentions revoking a permit; that appears to be leftover language.
Pen and henhouse
During daylight, chickens must be in a clean, odor-free pen built with sturdy wire fencing buried at least 12 inches, covered with wire, aviary netting, or a solid roof. Chicken wire is not allowed [4]. At night they must be in a closed, lockable henhouse. The henhouse must be at least 10 feet "from any residential structure or any other structure on any adjacent lots" [5]; the wording can be read to include your own house, so keeping 10 feet from it too is the safe choice. It may only go in the rear yard and must meet the zoning setbacks for detached accessory structures. A corner lot with no rear yard may use a side yard. It may never be in the front yard or inside the home [6].
Neighbors, odor, and waste
Odors must not be perceptible at the property line, and noise must not disturb people of reasonable sensitivity there [7]. Only one covered 20-gallon manure container may be stored on the property; the rest must be removed [8]. Exterior henhouse lighting must be motion-activated.
Enforcement
Violations are a civil violation with a $100 fine, and each day counts separately. Reinspections after a violation notice cost $75, then $150 each.
Other animals
The Land Use Code's agriculture standards bar keeping animals on lots under 3 acres or within 100 feet of a street or lot line, with an exception for domesticated chickens kept under Chapter 5 [10]. So other livestock is effectively off the table on a typical city lot.
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Next steps
- Confirm you'll keep 6 or fewer hens and no roosters; no city chicken permit is required.
- Site the henhouse in your rear yard, at least 10 feet from any house (including, to be safe, your own) and from any structure on neighboring lots, and meeting accessory-structure setbacks for your zone.
- Build a covered pen with sturdy wire fencing buried 12 inches (no chicken wire) and a lockable henhouse.
- Call Permitting & Inspections (207-874-8703) if your henhouse needs a building permit or you're unsure of your zone's accessory-structure setbacks.
Common questions
- Can I have chickens in Portland, Maine?
- Yes. Portland lets residents keep up to 6 hens per lot, for personal use only. The city repealed its chicken permit in 2017.
- Are roosters allowed in Portland, Maine?
- No. Only female chickens are allowed in Portland, so no roosters. Selling eggs, breeding, and slaughtering are also prohibited.
- Where can I put a chicken coop in Portland, Maine?
- The henhouse goes in the rear yard (a side yard if there is no rear yard), never the front yard. It must be at least 10 feet from residential structures and structures on adjacent lots, and meet accessory-structure setbacks.
- What are the chicken pen rules in Portland, Maine?
- Hens must be in a covered pen during the day, built with sturdy wire fencing buried at least 12 inches; chicken wire is not allowed. At night they must be in a closed, lockable henhouse.
- What is the fine for violating Portland, Maine's chicken rules?
- Violations carry a $100 civil fine, and each day counts as a separate offense.
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. 5-401, Animals and Fowl (Chapter 5) – Art. IV Keeping of Domesticated Chickens, p. 15
Sec. 5-401. Reserved. (Ord. No. 152-08/09, 2-18-09; Ord. 244-14/15, 6-24-2015; Ord. 18-17/18, 8-21- 2017, Chicken permit repealed.)
- Sec. 5-402, Animals and Fowl (Chapter 5) – Art. IV Keeping of Domesticated Chickens, p. 15
(a) The maximum number of chickens allowed is six (6) per lot regardless of how many dwelling units are on the lot. (b) Only female chickens are allowed.
- Sec. 5-403, Animals and Fowl (Chapter 5) – Art. IV Keeping of Domesticated Chickens, p. 15
Chickens shall be kept as pets and for personal use only; no person shall sell eggs or engage in chicken breeding or fertilizer production for commercial purposes. The slaughtering of chickens is prohibited.
- Sec. 5-404(a), Animals and Fowl (Chapter 5) – Art. IV Keeping of Domesticated Chickens, p. 15
It shall be constructed with sturdy wire fencing buried at least 12” in the ground.
- Sec. 5-404(b)(1), Animals and Fowl (Chapter 5) – Art. IV Keeping of Domesticated Chickens, p. 16
(1) Any henhouse shall be at least ten (10’) feet from any residential structure or any other structure on any adjacent lots.
- Sec. 5-404(b)(2), Animals and Fowl (Chapter 5) – Art. IV Keeping of Domesticated Chickens, p. 16
(2) Henhouses shall only be located in rear yards, and shall meet zoning setbacks applicable to detached accessory structures.
- Sec. 5-405, Animals and Fowl (Chapter 5) – Art. IV Keeping of Domesticated Chickens, p. 16
(a) Odors from chickens, chicken manure, or other chicken- related substances shall not be perceptible at the property boundaries.
- Sec. 409, Animals and Fowl (Chapter 5) – Art. IV Keeping of Domesticated Chickens, p. 17
No more than one, twenty gallon container of manure shall be stored on any one property housing chickens.
- Sec. 411, Animals and Fowl (Chapter 5) – Art. IV Keeping of Domesticated Chickens, p. 18
In addition to any other enforcement action which the city may take, violation of any provision of this article shall be a civil violation and a fine of one-hundred dollars ($100.00) may be imposed.
- Sec. 6.4.3(A), Land Use Code (Code of Ordinances Chapter 14, ReCode), p. 82
A. No animals shall be kept on any lot less than three acres or closer than 100 feet to any street or lot line, except domesticated chickens as regulated in Chapter 5 of the City of Portland Code of Ordinances.