Cary, NC Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Max hens
- 5 per lot
- Roosters
- banned on standard lots
- Min lot size
- 6,000 sq ft
- Permit required
- yes, accessory use permit
- Coop setback
- 15 ft from property lines
Summary
In the Town of Cary, Wake County, North Carolina, the Land Development Ordinance lets homeowners on lots of 6,000+ square feet keep up to five hens as an accessory use with a town permit; roosters, on-site slaughter, and sales of eggs or birds are all barred.
The keeping of chickens shall be permitted as an accessory use in conjunction with detached, single-unit residential uses in the R-20, R-12, R-8, TR, TC-MDR, TC-LDR, TC-LDR-12, PDD and MXD districts where the minimum lot size is six thousand (6,000) square feet... An accessory use permit must be secured in accordance with Section 3.5... The maximum number of female chickens (hens) allowed is five (5) per lot. No roosters are permitted.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2023 S-87_S-57: Current through local ordinance 2022-Code-05, passed 11-17-2022 and effective 11-17-2022 | LDO: Current through local ordinance 2022-LDO-04, passed 11-17-22 and effective 11-17-22).
Full Breakdown
Cary Code of Ordinances § 6-62 bars livestock and domestic fowl townwide except as an LDO-permitted accessory use. LDO § 5.3.4(J) is that allowance: on lots of at least 6,000 square feet in most residential districts, a homeowner may keep up to five hens (no roosters) after securing an accessory use permit showing the coop's location. Coops must sit in the rear yard, at least 15 feet from side and rear property lines, closer to the owner's house than any neighbor's. Selling eggs, birds, or manure is barred, as is on-site slaughter. On larger R-40/R-80 lots, other livestock is allowed by right, subject to state density limits, a 300-foot stable setback, and a ban on swine and roosters under five acres.
Violations & Fines
Keeping livestock or fowl without the required accessory use permit, exceeding five hens, keeping a rooster, or slaughtering chickens on residential property violates §§ 6-62 and 5.3.4(J) and can draw a citation and permit denial.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many chickens can I keep in Cary, NC?
Can I keep a rooster in Cary?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cary
How Cary compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Cary to another location·View the North Carolina animal ordinances overview
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Chickens & Livestock in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wake County handle chickens & livestock.