Hemet, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Unlike the leash rules (which Hemet adopts from the county), chicken and poultry keeping is set by Hemet's OWN zoning ordinance. HMC Sec. 90-77 and its Animal Regulations and Keeping Requirements Matrix, updated by City Ordinance No. 1904 (2015), expanded the zones where chickens are allowed. In residential zones (RA, R1-40, R1-20, R1-10, R1-7.2) a minimum 7,200-sq-ft lot may keep up to 4 hens and no rooster, subject to Sec. 90-77(h). In agricultural zones (A-1, A-2) on at least one acre, up to 12 hens and 1 rooster per acre are allowed, to a maximum of 50 hens and 2 roosters; no coop, pen, or barn may be within 50 feet of a residentially zoned property line. Per Sec. 90-77(h): chicken keeping is prohibited in any zone not listed and in mobile-home/RV parks; chickens may not run at large and must be kept in a coop/pen with a nesting box and weather/predator protection; feed must be stored in a vermin-proof container; eggs are for personal use only and may not be sold; slaughtering is prohibited on residential property; and premises must be kept clean and odor-free. CC&Rs and HOA rules can further restrict or prohibit chickens.