Knox County, TN Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Poultry classification
- Domesticated poultry counts as livestock, § 6-31
- Fencing duty
- Owner must fence to prevent escape, § 6-41(b)
- Electric fencing
- Accepted if properly maintained, § 6-41(a)
- Cure period
- 24 hours after first warning, § 6-41(b)
- Civil penalty
- $50 to $500 per day, § 6-47
- Flock size cap
- None set for poultry in Chapter 6
Summary
Knox County classifies "domesticated poultry" as livestock alongside horses, cattle, goats and hogs under Code Section 6-31, so backyard chickens are covered by the same fencing and at-large rules as farm animals. Section 6-41 makes it unlawful to let livestock roam onto streets or a neighbor's land and requires the owner to erect and maintain fencing strong enough to prevent escape, with electric fencing accepted if properly maintained.
Livestock means all animals of the equine, bovine or swine class and includes goats, sheep, mules, horses, hogs or cattle and domesticated poultry. ... Sec. 6-41. - Fencing of livestock. (a)It shall be unlawful for the owner of any livestock to willfully allow such livestock to run at large or stray upon any street, roadway, right-of-way, other public area or the private property of another without consent. Failure of the owner to maintain fencing or other containment adequate to prevent livestock from running at large as provided in this section constitutes willful conduct by the owner for this article. Electric fencing will be recognized as adequate fencing if it is adequately maintained.(b)Every owner of livestock shall erect and/or maintain a fence to contain and confine all livestock kept or maintained on his property. Such fence shall be sufficiently strong and substantial so as to prevent egress of livestock. ... The owner of livestock shall, within 24 hours of initial warning from the animal control division, repair or erect a fence and/or make arrangements for the placement of the livestock so as to have livestock confined.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Section 6-31 defines "livestock" as all animals of the equine, bovine or swine class, plus goats, sheep, mules, horses, hogs, cattle "and domesticated poultry," which pulls chickens, ducks and similar birds into the same fencing and containment scheme that governs cattle and horses. Section 6-41(a) states that letting livestock run at large or stray onto a street, right-of-way or another person's property without consent is unlawful, and that failing to maintain adequate fencing constitutes willful conduct by the owner; a properly maintained electric fence counts as adequate fencing.
Section 6-41(b) requires every livestock owner to erect and maintain a fence "sufficiently strong and substantial so as to prevent egress," and gives the owner only 24 hours from the animal control division's initial warning to repair or erect the fence, or to relocate the animals, before a civil citation can issue. There is no separate flock-size cap or coop-setback rule in Chapter 6 for poultry; the fencing and at-large duty is the operative standard countywide, regardless of zoning district. Commercial-scale poultry raising is treated separately as a permitted agricultural use under the county's zoning ordinance in Agricultural (A) zones, but that use classification does not change the Chapter 6 fencing duty that applies to any owner keeping chickens or other livestock on residential or agricultural land.
Violations & Fines
Failing to fence livestock, including chickens, is enforced under Section 6-47 as a civil infraction: an animal control officer or law enforcement officer may issue a citation, the Knox County General Sessions Court hears the case, and the civil penalty runs $50.00 to $500.00, with each day of a continuing at-large or fencing violation counted separately. Under Section 6-41(b), the owner gets only 24 hours after the animal control division's first warning to fix the fence or confine the animals before that citation can be issued.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are backyard chickens legal in unincorporated Knox County?
How much fencing do I need for chickens or other livestock?
What happens if my chickens or goats get loose?
Is there a limit on how many chickens I can keep?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knox County
How Knox County compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Knox County to another location·View the Tennessee animal ordinances overview
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