Ann Arbor was one of the first US cities to legalize backyard chickens (1992 ordinance, expanded 2008). Residents may keep up to 6 hens with a permit; roosters are banned. Coops must be 10 feet from any lot line and 40 feet from neighboring dwellings. The city also permits limited beekeeping. Other livestock (goats, pigs) are not allowed in residential zones.
Ann Arbor City Code Chapter 107 (Animals) and the Unified Development Code authorize the keeping of up to six female chickens (hens) on single-family residential lots with an annual permit issued by the Building Department. The ordinance was first adopted in 1992 — among the earliest urban chicken ordinances in the United States — and significantly expanded in 2008 as part of the city's push toward urban agriculture and food resilience.
Roosters are banned due to noise. Hens must be kept in a secure, predator-resistant coop and run located in the rear yard, at least 10 feet from any lot line and 40 feet from the nearest neighboring dwelling. Permit applications previously required signed acknowledgment from adjoining neighbors, though the 2018 revisions removed the neighbor-consent requirement to streamline applications. Slaughter of chickens on the premises is prohibited; sale of eggs is permitted from the producing property.
Beekeeping is permitted under similar rules (up to two hives per lot with setbacks). Other livestock such as goats, pigs, sheep, and cattle are prohibited in residential zones, though the Michigan Right to Farm Act (MCL §286.471 et seq.) may protect qualifying agricultural operations on parcels meeting state Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices.
Operating without a permit, exceeding 6 hens, or keeping a rooster is a civil infraction with fines of $100 first offense, $200 second, and $500 third within 12 months. The Building Department may order the removal of birds. Repeated nuisance violations (odor, noise, escape) can result in permit revocation. Report concerns to (734) 794-6263.
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See how Ann Arbor's chickens & livestock rules stack up against other locations.
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