New Bedford, MA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Density cap
- 1 animal/poultry head per 1,000 sq ft net lot area
- Hoofed farm animals
- Not permitted unless exempt under M.G.L.A. c. 40A § 3
- Commercial/multi-household use
- Requires Planning Board special permit
- At-large prohibition
- Fowl/livestock barred from streets, sidewalks, public places
- Enforcing agency
- Inspectional Services Department / Planning Board
Summary
New Bedford caps backyard poultry and animals at one head per 1,000 square feet of net lot area under the zoning ordinance, bars hoofed farm animals outright, and separately makes it unlawful to let fowl or livestock graze or wander into any street, sidewalk or public place.
2812. Agricultural production may be conducted outdoors, in a greenhouse, as an adaptive reuse of existing buildings, in containers such as vertical farming, in water enclosures, and on the roof of a structure for individual household use. When agricultural production for multiple households or commercial use and not exempt, as stated below, a special permit is required from the Planning Board. 2813. Animals or flocks of poultry shall not exceed one animal or head of poultry per one thousand (1,000) square feet of net area of the lot. The net area shall be determined by subtracting the gross ground floor area of all buildings and structures on the lots from the gross area of the lot plus any contiguous lots owned by the same party. 2814. Hoofed farm animals are not permitted for Agricultural Use that does not qualify as an exempt use under Chapter 40A, Section 3 of the Massachusetts General Laws.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 19).
Full Breakdown
The zoning ordinance's agricultural-use standards, Sections 2812 through 2814, govern how many animals a New Bedford lot can support. Section 2813 sets a hard density cap: animals or flocks of poultry cannot exceed one animal or head of poultry per 1,000 square feet of net lot area, with net area calculated by subtracting the ground-floor footprint of every building and structure on the lot (plus any contiguous lots under the same ownership) from the gross lot area. c. 40A, § 3. Section 2812 requires a Planning Board special permit once agricultural production serves multiple households or is run commercially.
Separately, Section 4-4 of the general ordinances makes it unlawful for anyone owning or caring for domestic fowl, goats, sheep, swine, horses, oxen, cows or other grazing animals to let them go at large, graze, or step onto a sidewalk in any street or public place; that section traces to the 1963 Code and predates the zoning density rule, so both apply independently to poultry and livestock keepers.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the one-animal-per-1,000-square-foot density cap or keeping hoofed farm animals outside an exempt agricultural use puts a property out of zoning compliance, which the inspectional services department can enforce through a cease-and-correct order tied to the zoning ordinance's general enforcement provisions. Letting poultry or livestock stray into a street, sidewalk or public place is a separate violation of Section 4-4, enforceable as a general ordinance offense. Commercial or multi-household production undertaken without the required Planning Board special permit is also a zoning violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many backyard chickens can I keep in New Bedford?
Can I keep goats or a pig in my New Bedford yard?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Bedford
How New Bedford compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare New Bedford to another location·View the Massachusetts animal ordinances overview
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