James City County, VA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Under Sec. 24-47 of the county's zoning ordinance, James City County permits residents to keep domestic chickens on residentially zoned and occupied property, but the birds must serve household consumption only: selling eggs, selling chickens for meat, or harvesting the birds for meat is prohibited. The lot must contain a single-family home and measure at least 15,000 square feet. Flock size is tied to lot area: two hens for the first 5,000 square feet, plus one additional hen for each further 5,000 square feet, with an absolute ceiling of twelve hens per lot.

Roosters are never allowed, regardless of lot size. Coops, cages and runs must sit in the rear yard unless the zoning administrator grants an exception for an unusual lot configuration, topography, or nearby neighbors, and they must be set back at least five feet from adjoining property lines and twenty-five feet from any dwelling on a neighboring property; corner lots require a 35-foot setback from the side street. Enclosures must be kept outside resource protection areas and county conservation easements, must include at least a partially covered run enclosed with four-foot chicken wire, and must provide at least three square feet of space per bird.

Anyone who wants to keep chickens must file an application with the James City County zoning office, pay the processing fee set in Appendix A of the county code, and submit a sketch showing the coop location, enclosure dimensions and setbacks before the zoning office issues a permit. A permit found out of compliance can be revoked, and any homeowners' association covenant that is more restrictive than Sec. 24-47 controls over the county rule.