City of Flint Code of Ordinances Chapter 9 Article XIV bars poultry and domestic fowl, other than household pets such as canaries and parakeets, on any residentially zoned lot within the City. Backyard chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys are not permitted in Flint residential districts. Larger livestock are also barred outside of agricultural zoning, which is effectively absent within City limits.
Chapter 9 (Animals) of the City of Flint Code, Article XIV, prohibits the keeping of poultry or domestic fowl other than household pets such as canaries and parakeets on any residentially zoned lot in the City. The ordinance originated with Ordinance 2058 in 1968 and has not been amended to authorize backyard hens. Limited carve-outs exist for educational or research purposes, in which case confinement must be in a yard, pen, shelter, or building with at least 25 square feet of ground or floor space per chicken. The Flint Zoning Code (Chapter 50) does not designate any active agricultural districts within City limits, so cattle, swine, goats, sheep, and horses are likewise barred as a practical matter. Residents in the surrounding unincorporated Genesee County or in Flint Charter Township are subject to different rules, including a six-hen cap and no-rooster rule in Flint Township; those rules do not extend into the City. Flint's posture differs sharply from Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Lansing, all of which permit limited backyard hens under permit. The Michigan Right to Farm Act and its GAAMPs generally do not preempt Flint because non-commercial residential chicken-keeping is not a commercial farm operation.
Violations are misdemeanors under Chapter 9 enforceable by Genesee County Animal Control and the Flint Police Department. Penalties typically include fines, an order to remove the birds, and possible impoundment. Continuing violations accrue per-day fines, and repeat offenses can be referred to the Flint City Attorney for prosecution in 68th District Court.
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