Bergen County does not regulate backyard chickens or livestock at the county level. Each of the 70 municipalities sets its own rules through local zoning and animal control ordinances, with substantial variation across towns.
Keeping chickens, roosters, goats, or other livestock in Bergen County is governed entirely by municipal ordinance, not county code. Some towns like Ridgewood and Teaneck permit limited backyard hens with permits, lot-size minimums, and coop setbacks, while others such as Fort Lee and Cliffside Park prohibit poultry outright in residential zones. Roosters are widely banned due to noise. New Jersey's Right to Farm Act (N.J.S.A. 4:1C-1) protects commercial farms but does not override local restrictions on hobby flocks. Residents must consult their borough or township clerk before acquiring birds or livestock.
Municipal fines typically range $100 to $1,250 per offense, with each day a separate violation. Animals may be seized.
Bergen County, NJ
Industrial and commercial noise in Bergen County is enforced under New Jersey's statewide Noise Control Code, N.J.A.C. 7:29, which sets dBA limits at receivi...
Bergen County, NJ
Aircraft noise in Bergen County, including operations at Teterboro Airport (TEB), is regulated exclusively by the Federal Aviation Administration. Neither th...
Bergen County, NJ
Amplified music and sound is prohibited in Bergen County parks except for official county use or with a written permit issued by the Department of Parks. Out...
Bergen County, NJ
Bergen County Animal Control investigates barking and nuisance dog reports referred by local police, but the underlying barking dog ordinance is set by each ...
Bergen County, NJ
Bergen County does not set countywide residential quiet hours; those rules are set by each municipality under New Jersey's Noise Control Act. The county dire...
Bergen County, NJ
Construction hours are not set at the Bergen County level. Each of the county's 70 municipalities adopts its own permissible construction time window under N...
See how Bergen County's chickens & livestock rules stack up against other locations.
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