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

Milpitas regulates fowl through its zoning code and Chapter 210 animal limits rather than a dedicated urban-chicken ordinance. In the agricultural zone, Section XI-10-40.04(1) of the Zoning Code provides that any building or enclosure in which animals or fowl, except domestic pets in household numbers, are contained shall be distant at least 200 feet from any lot in any Residential, Mixed Use or Commercial District, or from any school or institution for human care. Because typical Milpitas residential lots cannot meet a 200-foot separation, keeping chickens or other fowl in coops is generally not feasible on standard residential parcels and is oriented toward agricultural-zoned land. Separately, Milpitas Municipal Code Section V-210-7.02 (Maximum Number of Animals) allows a maximum of 20 birds per household if they are caged and kept indoors, which addresses pet birds rather than backyard poultry flocks. Milpitas does not publish a specific hen count, rooster ban, or coop-permit fee in the way some cities do; the controlling limits are the 200-foot enclosure separation in the agricultural zone and the caged-indoor-bird cap. Residents wanting to keep chickens should confirm their parcel's zoning and the enclosure-distance rule with the Milpitas Planning Division before acquiring birds.