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

Sec. 2-216 lists the use as permitted by right on Neighborhood Residential (NR), General Residential (GR), Urban Residential (UR), Urban Residential-Mixed (UR-M), Neighborhood Mixed-Use (NMU), and Historic Residential (HR), Historic Limited Office (HLO), and Historic Limited Business (HLB) lots, always as an accessory use to a detached single-family residence. The use-specific standards at Sec. 2-217(I)(3)(e) set the numeric limits: the lot must be at least 5,000 square feet, stocking is capped at one chicken per 2,000 square feet of lot area, and no more than six chickens are allowed on any lot regardless of size.

All chicken housing and fencing must sit solely in the rear yard and at least 15 feet from any side or rear lot line, and the birds cannot roam beyond the owner's property. Roosters are banned outright. Feed must be kept in a secure container, and manure and other waste must be handled under best-management practices so it does not create odor, attract vermin, or become a nuisance to neighbors; evidence of vermin can be grounds for the city to revoke the required Zoning Permit.

Selling eggs raised on the property is prohibited, which keeps the use accessory and non-commercial. Separately, City Code Sec. 4-5 makes it unlawful for horses, cows, goats, sheep, swine, or other livestock or poultry to run at large anywhere in the city, reinforcing the fenced-rear-yard confinement requirement for backyard flocks.