Georgetown, TX Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Sec. 010 of the Code of Ordinances treats livestock generally as a nuisance if kept within 200 feet of any private residence or within 500 feet of a building open to the public, but it carves out a specific allowance for hens. No more than eight hens may be kept in a residential zoning district, and every hen must stay contained within the owner's backyard rather than ranging the property at large. The coop itself must sit at least 20 feet from the private residence of another, and the owner must give the Chief of Police or a designee written notice identifying that they keep hens and where the coop sits, again citing the 20-foot distance from a neighbor's home.

Any coop must also satisfy applicable standards or permit requirements carried in the City's separate Unified Development Code. Roosters are prohibited entirely, with no size-of-lot or grandfathering exception listed in the Section. The 200-foot and 500-foot livestock buffers, along with the eight-hen cap, do not apply to land zoned Agricultural (AG) or Residential Estate (RE), nor to properly zoned veterinary clinics, boarding kennels, or similar animal-care facilities that keep livestock as part of their ongoing business. The Section also encourages, without requiring, that all livestock owners register their animals with the Animal Control Unit, including species, quantity, and ear-tag numbers, to help reunite strays with owners.