Norfolk County does not regulate chickens or livestock. Each town sets its own rules via zoning and board of health regulations. Suburban towns often restrict; rural towns like Medfield and Dover allow chickens.
Chicken and livestock rules in Norfolk County are purely municipal. MGL c. 129 §26B governs state-level poultry sales. Under MGL c. 111 §31, local boards of health may regulate animal-keeping as a public health matter. Suburban Norfolk County towns (Quincy, Brookline, Weymouth, Dedham) generally restrict or require permits for chickens. More rural towns (Medfield, Dover, Sherborn, Walpole, Medway) allow backyard hens with permits, typically 6-12 hens, no roosters, coops with 25-50 ft setbacks from abutters. MGL c. 40 §8L allows towns to adopt Right to Farm bylaws; many Norfolk County towns have done so (Medfield, Walpole, Norfolk, Medway). Larger livestock restricted to agriculturally-zoned parcels.
No county enforcement. Municipal violations: removal order, $50-$500/day nuisance fines under MGL c. 111 §31. Board of health enforcement for sanitary violations.
Brookline, MA
Brookline's General By-Laws and nuisance control provisions prohibit animals from creating persistent noise disturbances. Animal Control handles complaints a...
Brookline, MA
Brookline's Article 8.15 restricts construction noise activities on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays to hours before 8:00 PM. Weekday construction hour limit...
Brookline, MA
Brookline regulates noise under General By-Laws Article 8.15 (Noise Control). The bylaw prohibits Noise Pollution, defined as sound exceeding the Background ...
Brookline, MA
Brookline prohibits parking for more than 2 hours on streets between 6 AM and 1 AM (Sunday/holiday exempt). Overnight parking of more than 1 hour is prohibit...
Brookline, MA
Brookline issues commercial parking permits for $600/year allowing parking on designated residential side streets within 1/4 mile of a commercial district. T...
Brookline, MA
Brookline residents may use private driveways for personal vehicles. The overnight street parking ban applies to those without off-street parking. Blocking a...
See how Brookline's chickens & livestock rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.