Union County, NJ Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Union County's density (9th most densely populated US county, over 5,600 per sq mi) drives widespread backyard chicken prohibitions. Elizabeth Revised Ordinances Chapter 6.04.030 prohibits keeping of 'fowl' in any residential zone without explicit permission of the Board of Health, which is rarely granted. Westfield, Summit, Cranford, Linden, Rahway, Roselle, Kenilworth, Garwood, Mountainside, Plainfield, and Union Township all either prohibit chickens outright or require unobtainable variances. The few municipalities permitting backyard poultry include Scotch Plains (Chapter 10) which allows up to 6 hens (no roosters) on lots 10,000 sq ft or larger with a 25-foot coop setback, and Berkeley Heights which permits hens under local Board of Health approval with 50-foot neighbor setback. Winfield, Fanwood, and New Providence have no explicit chicken allowances. Larger livestock (goats, sheep, cattle, horses) are restricted to agricultural zoning which exists only in small portions of Berkeley Heights and Scotch Plains, and are effectively nonexistent in urban Elizabeth, Linden, and Plainfield. Union County Board of Health enforces sanitary violations under N.J.S.A. 26:3-64, including coop cleanliness, rodent control, and nuisance odors. Urban farming advocates have petitioned Elizabeth and Plainfield without success.