Clarksville, TN Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Section 3-109(a) makes it unlawful to keep cattle, horses, sheep, goats, swine or poultry in any residentially zoned district except as zoning law allows. Subsection (b) carves out domesticated hens only, allowed in districts E-1, R-1, R-1A, R-2 and R-2A. Ducks, geese, quail, pigeons and turkeys are not "domesticated hens" and remain barred. Roosters are prohibited outright, as is breeding hens on the property and any on-site slaughtering. Hens must live outside any habitable structure in a fenced enclosure with a covered coop: the coop must provide at least 2 square feet per bird and cannot exceed 50 square feet, the run must provide at least 6 square feet per bird, the whole enclosure is capped at 400 square feet, and the coop's maximum height is 10 feet.

Both coop and run must sit at least 10 feet from the rear property line and 10 feet from any side line, and the lot must total at least 9,000 square feet. A permanent screening buffer (fence, shrubbery or similar) is required no closer than the minimum front-yard setback. Up to 8 hens are allowed per parcel. 00 fee, requires a site drawing showing the enclosure's location relative to the property lines, and final approval needs a Department of Building and Codes inspection of the completed structure.

The permit holder must own or lease and occupy the property; a renter needs a lease clause or written landlord consent, and the permit cannot be transferred and expires on any sale, new lease to a different tenant, or if the holder stops residing there. Waste must be cleared at least biweekly to avoid becoming a nuisance, and city court may revoke any permit on a violation finding.