Cherry Hill, NJ Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- Sheep, goats, swine only; no poultry rule
- Distance buffer
- 300 feet from any dwelling house
- Certificate fee
- $1 (up to 10 animals) / $5
- Issued by
- Township Division of Health
- First-offense fine
- $10-$50, § 8-8.8
Summary
Cherry Hill Township Code § 8-8 regulates keeping sheep, goats and swine: a Township Division of Health certificate is required before keeping any of the three, and § 8-8.7 bars keeping them within 300 feet of any dwelling house. The chapter has no chicken or poultry-keeping provision at all.
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or stable any sheep, goats or swine within the limits of the Township without having first received from the Township Division of Health a certificate stating that the place where the sheep, goats or swine are kept is maintained, conducted and controlled in a clean and sanitary fashion and in such a manner, as in the judgment of the Division of Vital Statistics, as not to be offensive or menacing to the public health and welfare of the residents of the Township. ... It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or stable any sheep, goats or swine within the distance of three hundred (300') feet of any dwelling house now in existence or to be constructed hereafter within the limits of the Township.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 8's livestock article, adopted in 1929 and amended in 1939, is narrow by design: it covers only sheep, goats and swine, and the Revised General Ordinances contain no backyard-chicken or poultry-keeping ordinance anywhere in the Township code. 4 before the certificate, which doubles as the operating license, is issued. 6 after notice and a hearing before the Division of Vital Statistics. 7 adds a hard locational bar: no sheep, goat or swine may be kept within 300 feet of any existing or future dwelling house, including one on what the ordinance calls 'a farm,' and the Division of Health may not issue a certificate for a site that fails that distance test.
Violations & Fines
Section 8-8.8 sets the fine at not less than $10.00 nor more than $50.00 for a first offense, rising to not less than $25.00 nor more than $100.00 for a second or subsequent offense, on conviction in Municipal Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep backyard chickens in Cherry Hill Township?
How far from my house can a neighbor keep goats or swine in Cherry Hill?
What does it take to legally keep sheep in Cherry Hill?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cherry Hill
How Cherry Hill compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Cherry Hill to another location·View the New Jersey animal ordinances overview
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