Chicken-keeping in Suffolk County is regulated by each municipality. Boston allows chickens by right in certain zones with a permit from the Inspectional Services Department; dense urban neighborhoods effectively exclude them through lot-size and setback rules.
Suffolk County does not regulate livestock. Boston amended its zoning in 2013 (Article 89 — Urban Agriculture) to expressly allow backyard hens in most residential zones with a Boston ISD permit. Limits: maximum 6 hens (no roosters), 20 feet minimum coop setback from abutter dwellings, enclosed coop and run required, and sanitary conditions per Boston Public Health Commission rules. Realistically, Boston's dense triple-decker neighborhoods (Dorchester, Roxbury, East Boston) rarely meet the 20-foot setback. Chelsea prohibits backyard poultry under its zoning code given its dense urban character. Revere allows hens on larger lots with a Board of Health permit. Winthrop allows chickens on lots of sufficient size with setbacks. MGL c. 129 §26B governs poultry sales statewide. MGL c. 111 §31 gives local Boards of Health authority over noxious conditions. Large livestock (cattle, pigs, goats) is prohibited in all Suffolk County municipalities as there are no agricultural zones. Massachusetts Right to Farm bylaws (MGL c. 40 §8L) do not apply in Suffolk County.
Boston unpermitted chickens: zoning violation $100-$300 plus removal order under Article 89. Board of Health nuisance orders: $100-$500/day under MGL c. 111 §31 until abated. Coop setback violation: correction order plus fines.
Suffolk County, MA
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Suffolk County, MA
Driveway rules in Suffolk County are set by each city. Boston requires a curb-cut permit from the Public Improvement Commission, and blocking a Boston sidewa...
Suffolk County, MA
Massachusetts has a spite fence statute (MGL c.49 §21) but no shared fence cost law. Each owner is responsible for their own fence.
Suffolk County, MA
Suffolk County may require vegetation management for fire safety. MA does not have a statewide defensible space mandate. Local property maintenance applies.
Suffolk County, MA
Suffolk County may have a tree warden per MGL c.87. Public shade trees are protected statewide - removal requires tree warden consent.
Suffolk County, MA
MA encourages native plant landscaping through MGL c. 132A (MA Environmental Policy Act) and MassDEP climate guidance. No state law forces or prohibits nativ...
See how Suffolk County's chickens & livestock rules stack up against other locations.
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