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

Inside Hendersonville city limits, animal husbandry is governed by Title 10 of the Hendersonville Municipal Code (Animal Control) and the Hendersonville Zoning Ordinance, administered by the Building & Codes Department (615-264-5316) with field enforcement by Hendersonville Animal Control (615-264-5355) located at 1 Executive Park Drive. Title 10 carries forward the standard Tennessee Municipal League / Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) running-at-large pattern: it is unlawful for any person owning or being in charge of cattle, horses, mules, swine, sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, or other domestic fowl or livestock to knowingly or negligently permit them to run at large in any street, alley, or unenclosed lot within the corporate limits. Backyard hens are allowed as a residential accessory use in the RR (Residential Rural), ER (Residential Estate), SR-1 (Single-Family Residential 1), and SR-2 (Single-Family Residential 2) zoning districts, subject to: (1) a density cap of approximately one (1) hen per 3,000 square feet of lot area; (2) a minimum fifteen (15) foot setback from all property lines for the chicken coop and any attached run; (3) no roosters because of crowing-noise nuisance; (4) maintenance of the coop in a sanitary condition free of vermin and excessive odor; and (5) a coop/permit application filed with the Building & Codes Department that identifies the coop location and design, intended flock size, and waste-management plan. Larger livestock (cattle, horses, sheep, goats, swine) is not allowed on standard suburban lots and is functionally limited to the largest RR (Residential Rural) tracts and unincorporated portions of Sumner County. The Sumner County Zoning Resolution administered by the Sumner County Planning Department permits agricultural use including poultry and livestock in most rural districts outside Hendersonville's corporate limits, subject to county nuisance, setback, and HOA rules.