Portsmouth, VA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Backyard chickens in Portsmouth are governed by Zoning Ordinance Sec. 40.2-217(I)(3)(e), which defines the practice as rearing chickens in small numbers in the rear of a single-family dwelling. The use is only an accessory use to a detached single-family residence, so apartments, duplexes and commercial lots are out. The lot must be at least 5,000 square feet, and the flock is limited to one chicken for every 2,000 square feet of lot area, with an absolute ceiling of six chickens on any lot or zone lot. At that ratio a 5,000 square foot lot supports two chickens, and a lot of 12,000 square feet or more reaches the six-bird cap.

Layout rules are tight. All housing and fencing must sit solely in the rear yard and at least 15 feet from any side or rear lot line. Chickens may not roam in other areas of the property or off the property, so the flock stays inside the fenced run. Roosters are banned outright. Feed must be stored in a secure container, and manure and other waste must be handled under best management practices so it creates no odor, attracts no vermin and is not a nuisance to neighbors. Evidence of vermin is cause for revoking the Zoning Permit, and the sale of eggs is prohibited, which makes the flock a household use only.

The approval process runs through the Zoning Administrator. You submit a request for a Zoning Permit, and the Zoning Administrator notifies adjoining property owners, including owners across any public right-of-way, that a permit will be issued. That notice must include a copy of the chicken-keeping requirements and information on how to report code violations, so neighbors know exactly which standards to hold you to.

Larger animals are handled by City Code Sec. 4-5, which makes it unlawful for any person to allow horses, cows, goats, sheep, swine or other livestock or poultry to run at large in the city. The section cross-references Sec. 25-108 on animals at large in parks and cites Code of Virginia Sec. 3.1-796.93 as the state authority to prohibit animals and fowl from running at large. The chicken standards were last amended through Ordinance 2026-13, adopted 2-10-2026.