Wilmington, NC Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Section 6-2 opens with a blanket rule: no one may keep poultry, livestock or a wild animal in Wilmington except under a permit issued under the section. Subsection (b) governs poultry permits specifically and starts by banning several species outright: 'It shall be unlawful to keep roosters, geese, ducks, doves, grouse, guinea fowl, partridges, pea fowl, pheasants, quail, swans, or turkeys within the city,' leaving hens as effectively the only permittable poultry. To get a poultry permit, the property must be zoned single-family residential, the lot must total at least 15,000 square feet under single ownership, the birds must be kept in a secure fenced enclosure at all times providing at least ten square feet per bird, the enclosure cannot sit in the front or side yard, within ten feet of any property line, or within twenty-five feet of another residence, and the enclosure must stay clean and free of excrement and odor. No permit holder may keep more than five female chickens, with 'no discounting for chicks.'

Livestock and wild-animal permits under subsection (c) are stricter still: the tract must be at least 40,000 square feet, with at least 20,000 square feet of land per animal, and no barn or building housing the animal within twenty-five feet of a property line; wild-animal permits additionally require a state Wildlife Resources Commission permit. The code enforcement officer must deny a permit if the animal poses a substantial danger, interferes with neighbors through noise or odor, or otherwise threatens public safety, and applicants must mail notice of their permit application to every adjacent property owner using New Hanover County tax records.