Trenton, NJ Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 315-8.4.E.2, Community Garden standards
- Prohibited
- Livestock, chickens, other poultry, aquaculture
- Exception
- Apiaries (beekeeping) expressly permitted
- Produce sales
- Written Zoning Officer approval required first
- Shed limit
- Accessory sheds capped at 144 square feet
- Enforcement
- 15-day written notice, then Municipal Court summons
- Penalty
- Up to $2,000 fine or 90 days
Summary
Trenton's zoning ordinance flatly prohibits keeping livestock, chickens, or other poultry on any community garden site in the city, private or public, though beekeeping is expressly allowed. Because raising chickens or livestock is not a listed use anywhere else in the zoning code's use matrix, it has no path onto residential property either.
E. Community Garden. The following standards apply to community gardens on private property. Community gardens on city-owned property are subject to the standards of Chapter 54 City-Owned Property, Article IV, Community Gardens Program. ... 2. The keeping of livestock, chickens or other poultry, and any aquaculture is prohibited. Apiaries are permitted.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4853025; v21 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
E, and a companion set of rules in Chapter 54, Article IV governs community gardens built on land the city itself owns. 2 draws a hard line at animals, banning the keeping of livestock, chickens, or any other poultry, along with aquaculture, while carving out a specific exception for apiaries. Accessory structures tied to the garden are also capped: greenhouses and hoop-houses without permanent foundations may extend the growing season, and sheds without a permanent foundation are limited to 144 square feet, all of which must sit at least five feet from any lot line.
5. 2 independently forecloses it on ordinary residential, commercial, or industrial lots: any use not listed in the matrix, or reasonably interpreted as part of a listed use, is prohibited in every district. In practice there is no zoning path in Trenton, garden or otherwise, to keep chickens, goats, or other livestock outside a state-licensed agricultural or veterinary use.
Violations & Fines
The Zoning Officer enforces Chapter 315 citywide and, on finding livestock or poultry kept in violation of § 315-8.4.E.2, must notify the owner in writing by certified mail under § 315-17.3, giving 15 days to respond. No response triggers an automatic Municipal Court summons under § 315-17.6.A, and the certificate of occupancy is immediately voided under § 315-17.5. Each day the animals remain is a separate violation under § 315-17.6.C, punishable by up to $2,000 or 90 days under Chapter 1, § 1-17.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep backyard chickens in Trenton?
Are community gardens allowed to keep bees?
Can a community garden sell what it grows?
What happens if the city finds livestock or chickens on a property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Trenton
How Trenton compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Trenton to another location·View the New Jersey animal ordinances overview
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