Dearborn, MI Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issued by
- director of residential services
- Covered animals
- cows, horses, pigs, goats, sheep, fowl
- Exempt pets
- dogs, cats, birds
- Permit can be
- suspended for nuisance
Summary
Dearborn requires a permit from the director of residential services before keeping chickens, pigeons, or other fowl, or farm animals like cows, horses, pigs, goats, and sheep, anywhere in the city.
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or allow to be kept within the city any farm animals, including but not limited to cows, horses, pigs, potbellied pigs, goats, sheep, pigeons or fowl, or any other domestic animals or insects, except birds, dogs, cats and other harmless domestic pets, without first obtaining a permit from the director of residential services. On the granting of this permit, the fowl or animals in question must not be allowed to run at large or create any condition, affect the conduct or disturb in any way any neighbor or human being, cause any nuisance as herein declared, or cause any condition that might be unwholesome or in any way affect the health, happiness and well-being of the surrounding neighborhood. The director of residential services shall have the power to suspend the above mentioned permit when a nuisance is being or has been thereby created, and to cause any such nuisance to be abated. (Ord. No. 81-69, § 2.3, 11-4-81; Ord. No. 13-1383, 2-12-13)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-07: Code: Updated through: July 22, 2026 | Zoning: Updated through: July 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 4-1, keeping farm animals or fowl, cows, horses, pigs, potbellied pigs, goats, sheep, pigeons, or fowl such as chickens, is unlawful without a permit from the director of residential services. Birds, dogs, cats, and other harmless domestic pets are exempt. Once granted, the permit holder must prevent the animals from running at large, disturbing neighbors, or creating a nuisance; the director can suspend the permit and order the nuisance abated at any time.
Violations & Fines
Keeping fowl or farm animals without a permit, or letting a permitted animal create a nuisance, is a chapter violation under the Sec. 4-6 fine schedule: $75 first offense, $100 second, $250 third, then a 93-day misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep backyard chickens in Dearborn without a permit?
What happens if my chickens or livestock disturb neighbors?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dearborn
How Dearborn compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Dearborn to another location·View the Michigan animal ordinances overview
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