Can I keep backyard chickens in South Portland, Maine?
Yes. South Portland allows up to six hens per lot with an annual chicken permit from Code Enforcement, plus a building permit for the henhouse and pen; the city issues only a limited number of new permits each year (20, plus permits for previous permittees). Roosters are not allowed, the henhouse must be in the rear yard, and eggs can't be sold.
| Permit | Annual permit to keep chickens, plus a building permit for the henhouse and pen [1] |
| Max number of hens | 6 per lot (6 per complex for condos without private yards) [3] |
| Roosters | Not allowed (female chickens only) [4] |
| New permits per year | 20 new permits per year, in addition to permits for previous permittees [2] |
| Henhouse location | Rear yard only (side yard if no rear yard); never the front yard [5] |
| Henhouse within 20 ft of side/rear line | Notify abutters at least 20 days before applying [6] |
| Other farm animals (goats, etc.) | Separate small farm animal permit; RF, A and AA districts only [9] |
Permit and limits
South Portland's Animals and Fowl chapter requires an annual permit to keep any chickens, and a building permit to build the henhouse and chicken pen [1]. The permit is personal to you and lapses if you are away from the property for more than 60 days. The ordinance limits how many new permits are issued: in each permit year, 20 more permits may be issued in addition to permits for previous permittees [2]. Ask Code Enforcement early in the year whether new permits are still available. You can keep up to six chickens per lot no matter how many units are on it [3]. Only hens are allowed, so no roosters [4]. Chickens are for personal use only; selling eggs, commercial breeding and slaughtering are prohibited.
Coop and pen rules
Henhouses must be in the rear yard; on a corner lot or a lot without a rear yard a side yard may be used if zoning setbacks are met, and never the front yard [5]. If the henhouse will be less than 20 feet from a side or rear property line, you must notify abutters at least 20 days before applying and show the coop won't harm their use of their property [6]. The henhouse must be fully enclosed, roofed, lockable, painted a uniform color, and built of uniform materials (no scrap or sheet metal). The pen must use sturdy wire fencing buried at least 12 inches and be covered; chicken wire is not permitted [7]. Hens must be secured in the henhouse at night and can roam a fenced yard only when supervised.
Nuisance standards
Odor must not be perceptible at the lot line, only motion-activated exterior lighting is allowed, feed must be stored pest-proof, and no more than 3 cubic feet of manure can be stored, covered.
Zoning and other animals
The zoning rules for Residential A (and similar language for other residential districts) prohibit farm-type animals including fowl "except as regulated in Chapter 3" [8], so hens kept under the chicken permit are allowed. Other small farm animals and livestock need a separate annual permit and are allowed only in the RF, A and AA districts [9].
State law
Maine law since September 2025 bars towns from prohibiting hens on residential property. The annual cap on new chicken permits may conflict with that law if it effectively blocks a resident from keeping hens.
See how South Portland compares with 8+ other Maine towns on backyard chickens →
Next steps
- Confirm you have a rear (or qualifying side) yard where the henhouse can go; if it will be within 20 ft of a side or rear line, notify abutters at least 20 days before applying.
- File the chicken permit application with the Code Enforcement Office and pay the annual fee.
- Apply for a building permit for the henhouse and chicken pen, showing materials and location.
- Renew the chicken permit each calendar year.
Common questions
- Can I have chickens in South Portland, Maine?
- Yes, with permits. South Portland allows up to six hens per lot with an annual chicken permit from Code Enforcement, plus a building permit for the henhouse and pen.
- Are roosters allowed in South Portland, Maine?
- No. Only hens (female chickens) are allowed. Chickens are for personal use only, so selling eggs, commercial breeding and slaughtering are prohibited.
- Is there a limit on chicken permits in South Portland, Maine?
- Yes. The ordinance allows 20 new permits per permit year, in addition to permits for previous permittees. Ask Code Enforcement early in the year whether permits are still available.
- Where can a chicken coop go in South Portland, Maine?
- The henhouse must be in the rear yard, or a side yard on a corner lot or a lot without a rear yard if zoning setbacks are met. It can never be in the front yard. If it will be less than 20 feet from a side or rear line, notify abutters at least 20 days before applying.
- What are the chicken pen rules in South Portland, Maine?
- The pen must use sturdy wire fencing buried at least 12 inches and be covered. Chicken wire is not permitted. Hens must be secured in the henhouse at night.
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. 3-52. Permit Required, Animals and Fowl (Chapter 3), p. 14
An annual permit is required for the keeping of any domesticated chickens in the City of South Portland. Additionally, a building permit is required for the construction of a henhouse and chicken pen.
- Sec. 3-52(b), Animals and Fowl (Chapter 3), p. 14
In the first permit year, no more than twenty (20) permits shall be issued. In each subsequent permit year, twenty (20) more permits may be issued in addition to new permits issued to previous permittees.
- Sec. 3-54(a), Animals and Fowl (Chapter 3), p. 14
The maximum number of chickens allowed is six (6) per lot regardless of how many dwelling units are on the lot.
- Sec. 3-54(b), Animals and Fowl (Chapter 3), p. 14
Only female chickens are allowed. There is no restriction on chicken species.
- Sec. 3-56(d)(2), Animals and Fowl (Chapter 3), p. 15
Henhouses shall only be located in rear yards, as defined in Sec. 27-201. For a corner lot or other property where no rear yard exists, a side yard may be used as long as the setbacks generally applicable in the zoning district are met. In no case may a henhouse be placed in the front yard.
- Sec. 3-56(d)(3), Animals and Fowl (Chapter 3), p. 15
If a henhouse is proposed to be located less than twenty (20) feet from any side or rear property line, the applicant shall provide proof to the Code Enforcement Officer that notification has been provided to abutting property owners at least twenty (20) days before applying for a permit.
- Sec. 3-56(e)(1), Animals and Fowl (Chapter 3), p. 16
An enclosed chicken pen must be provided consisting of sturdy wire fencing buried at least 12” in the ground. The pen must be covered with wire, aviary netting, or solid roofing. The use of chicken wire is not permitted.
- Sec. 27-537. Farm animals and produce (A), Zoning (Code of Ordinances Chapter 27), p. 139
In the Residential District A, the keeping of farm-type animals, including but not limited to horses, ponies, cattle, pigs and fowl, except as regulated in Chapter 3; the keeping of dogs, cats and rabbits for commercial purposes and other uses offensive and detrimental to the neighborhood are prohibited.
- Sec. 3-201. Purpose (Small Farm Animal Keeping), Animals and Fowl (Chapter 3), p. 31
This use may be allowed as a permitted use in the RF, A, and AA zoning districts, provided that all standards in this Chapter are met, since those zoning districts contain provisions regulating the open space areas and spatial separation from other properties that are necessary to ensure animal welfare and nuisance management.