Town Permit Guide

Home › Massachusetts › Wellesley › Backyard Chickens

Can I keep backyard chickens in Wellesley, Massachusetts?

Wellesley, Norfolk County · Bylaws checked 2026-10-03 · Reviewed · 9 cited sections

Allowed with a permit

Yes, but only with a Board of Health permit, granted after a public hearing that you must notify abutters about by certified mail. Birds must be kept at least 100 ft from a neighbor's house and 50 ft from any street, and roosters need an annual hearing.

PermitBoard of Health permit required for any poultry [1]
Hearing and noticePublic hearing; notify all abutters by certified mail at least 7 days before [2]
Permit term1 year; renewable without a hearing if no validated complaints [3]
RoostersAnnual Board of Health hearing required [4]
Setback from abutter's house100 feet [5]
Setback from any public or private way50 feet [5]
Number of birdsNo fixed cap; Board of Health may limit the number [6]
ConfinementPoultry must be confined at all times [7]
Large animalsHorses, goats, sheep, etc. at least 150 ft from an abutting dwelling [8]

Permit and hearing

Wellesley regulates chickens through Board of Health Regulations Chapter XVI. No one may keep poultry (or horses, cows, llamas, goats, sheep or swine) on their property without a Board of Health permit [1]. The Board grants permits only after a public hearing, and you must notify every abutter by certified mail at least seven days beforehand and bring proof of notice to the hearing [2]. Permits last one year and can be renewed without another hearing if the Health Department has no validated complaints on record for that year; permits can't be transferred [3].

Roosters

Keeping a rooster requires an annual hearing before the Board of Health, again with certified-mail notice to abutters [4].

Where the coop can go

Live fowl can't be kept less than 100 ft from an abutter's dwelling on adjacent property, or less than 50 ft from any public or private way [5]. On many Wellesley lots these distances will be the deciding factor, so measure before applying.

How many birds and upkeep

The regulation sets no fixed number of hens; instead the Board reserves the right to limit the number of animals on a lot [6]. Poultry must be confined at all times and can't run at large [7], and premises must be kept clean and free of decaying food, rodents and standing water. The Board can suspend or revoke a permit for violations or a nuisance.

Zoning and other animals

The Zoning Bylaw allows agriculture in Single Residence Districts, but a farm devoted mainly to raising poultry or livestock for sale is prohibited unless it meets the state minimum acreage [9]. Larger animals such as horses, goats and sheep must be at least 150 ft from an abutting dwelling unless the owner lives there [8].

See how Wellesley compares with 8+ other Massachusetts towns on backyard chickens →

Next steps

  1. Measure your lot to confirm a coop and run can sit at least 100 ft from every neighbor's house and 50 ft from any street or private way.
  2. Contact the Wellesley Health Department to request a poultry permit application and a Board of Health hearing date.
  3. Send notice of the hearing to all abutters by certified mail at least 7 days in advance and bring the receipts to the hearing.
  4. If you want a rooster, plan on a hearing every year; otherwise renew the permit annually.

Common questions

Can I keep chickens in Wellesley, Massachusetts?
Yes, but only with a Board of Health permit, granted after a public hearing for which you notify all abutters by certified mail at least 7 days before. The permit lasts 1 year.
Can I have a rooster in Wellesley, Massachusetts?
Roosters need an annual Board of Health hearing.
How far must chickens be from my neighbor in Wellesley, Massachusetts?
Birds must be at least 100 ft from a neighbor's house and 50 ft from any public or private way.
How many chickens can I have in Wellesley, Massachusetts?
There's no fixed cap, but the Board of Health may limit the number. Poultry must be confined at all times.

Massachusetts state rules on backyard poultry

Massachusetts has no statewide right to keep backyard hens. Whether you can keep chickens, how many, and where the coop goes are set locally, through your town's zoning bylaw and Board of Health regulations.

  • Board of Health power: under M.G.L. c. 111, §31, local boards of health may adopt "reasonable health regulations", and many use this power to require a permit to keep poultry. Violations can bring fines of up to $1,000. In towns with an agricultural commission, the board must send that commission any proposed rule affecting the non-commercial keeping of poultry, livestock or bees for a 45-day review.
  • Agricultural zoning protection is for farms, not most backyards: c. 40A, §3 stops zoning from banning or requiring a special permit for commercial agriculture. Towns may limit that protection to parcels of 5 acres or more, or 2 acres or more if the land produces at least $1,000 per acre a year in sales. A typical backyard flock doesn't qualify.
  • Annual barn inspections: your town's animal inspector, working under the state Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), does annual barn inspections and a census of livestock and poultry. Backyard flock owners may be contacted.
  • Nuisance rules still apply: a board of health may also regulate or prohibit an activity that causes a nuisance or offensive odors (c. 111, §143).

State sources: M.G.L. c. 111, §31 (board of health regulations) · M.G.L. c. 111, §143 (noisome trades, nuisances) · M.G.L. c. 40A, §3 (agricultural use protection) · MDAR, Municipal Animal Inspector Resources (barn inspections, backyard flock biosecurity)

What the bylaw says

Exact text from Wellesley's published bylaws. Section numbers are as printed in the source.

  1. BOH Regs. Ch. XVI, 1.00 Permit Requirement, Board of Health Regulations Chapter XVI - Animals (Keeping of Horses, Cows, Llamas, Goats, Sheep, Swine and Poultry), p. 1
    1.00 Permit Requirement. No one shall keep or allow to be kept in any building or on any premises of which he may own, lease or occupy, any horses, cows, llamas, sheep, goats, swine, poultry or other animal as determined by the Director of Public Health without a permit from the Board of Health.
  2. BOH Regs. Ch. XVI, 2.00 Permits, Board of Health Regulations Chapter XVI - Animals (Keeping of Horses, Cows, Llamas, Goats, Sheep, Swine and Poultry), p. 1
    2.00 Permits. The Board of Health may grant a permit after a public hearing. The applicant must notify all abutters by certified mail at least seven (7) days prior to the public hearing. Proof of notification must be presented at the hearing.
  3. BOH Regs. Ch. XVI, 2.02, Board of Health Regulations Chapter XVI - Animals (Keeping of Horses, Cows, Llamas, Goats, Sheep, Swine and Poultry), p. 1
    2.02 Permits shall be valid for one year from the date of issuance unless revoked sooner by the Board. Permits may be renewed without a public hearing if there are no validated complaints on record with the Health Department during the current year. No permit shall be transferable.
  4. BOH Regs. Ch. XVI, 2.03, Board of Health Regulations Chapter XVI - Animals (Keeping of Horses, Cows, Llamas, Goats, Sheep, Swine and Poultry), p. 1
    2.03 The keeping of a rooster or swine shall require an annual hearing before the Board of Health. The applicant must notify all abutters by certified mail at least seven days prior to the hearing.
  5. BOH Regs. Ch. XVI, 4.00 Distance Requirements, Board of Health Regulations Chapter XVI - Animals (Keeping of Horses, Cows, Llamas, Goats, Sheep, Swine and Poultry), p. 1
    4.00 Distance Requirements. No live fowl shall be kept less than one hundred (100) feet from an abutter's dwelling on adjacent property or less than fifty (50) feet from any public or private way.
  6. BOH Regs. Ch. XVI, 5.00 General Provisions, Board of Health Regulations Chapter XVI - Animals (Keeping of Horses, Cows, Llamas, Goats, Sheep, Swine and Poultry), p. 1
    5.00 General Provisions. The Board of Health reserves the right to limit the number of animals that may be kept in a building, on a lot or a parcel of land.
  7. BOH Regs. Ch. XVI, 5.01, Board of Health Regulations Chapter XVI - Animals (Keeping of Horses, Cows, Llamas, Goats, Sheep, Swine and Poultry), p. 1
    5.01 Poultry shall be confined at all times and not permitted to run at large.
  8. BOH Regs. Ch. XVI, 4.01, Board of Health Regulations Chapter XVI - Animals (Keeping of Horses, Cows, Llamas, Goats, Sheep, Swine and Poultry), p. 1
    4.01 No horses, llamas, cows, goats, sheep, or swine shall be kept closer than one hundred fifty (150) feet from an abutting dwelling unless it is occupied by the owner of the said animals.
  9. Zoning Bylaw Sec. 2.1.A.5.a, Zoning Bylaw (as amended through 2025 Annual Town Meeting), p. 29
    a. A farm devoted principally to the raising of poultry, horses, domestic animals or other livestock for sale is prohibited unless it meets the minimum acreage requirement as provided in Chapter 40A Massachusetts General Laws, as amended;
This page summarizes Wellesley's posted bylaws as of 2026-10-03. Bylaws are amended, and individual lots can have overlays, subdivision covenants, or HOA rules that are stricter. Confirm with Building Department (Inspector of Buildings / Zoning Enforcement), 888 Worcester Street, Suite 160 (781-431-1019 (Inspector of Buildings direct 781-489-7452)) before you build. Spot an error?