Stuart, FL currently prohibits backyard chickens citywide under Code of Ordinances Chapter 8 (Animals). On May 7, 2026, the Community Redevelopment Board voted 5-2 to recommend allowing up to 4 hens (no roosters) on R1A, R1, R2, urban-neighborhood and single-family-detached lots β pending Stuart City Commission approval.
Stuart is in Martin County, where the Sheriff's Office has historically taken the position that chickens 'shouldn't be kept in any residential zoned location whatsoever.' The pending 2026 amendment to Chapter 8 would permit chickens only as an accessory use on occupied single-family or duplex properties, with coops up to 7 feet tall, hedges allowed alongside fences as additional screening, and an annual $65 inspection fee. Roosters are not part of the proposal β the recommendation is hens-only. Until the City Commission adopts the change, keeping chickens of any kind within Stuart city limits remains a code violation.
Code Compliance can issue citations and civil penalties under Chapter 8 for unlawful keeping of fowl. Penalties accrue daily until the violation is corrected; recurring violations may be referred to the Code Enforcement Magistrate.
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See how Stuart's chickens & livestock rules stack up against other locations.
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