Winston-Salem allows backyard hens in residential zones with a limit of typically 6 hens per lot. Roosters are prohibited. Coops must be at least 15 feet from property lines and 25 feet from neighboring dwellings.
Winston-Salem permits keeping female chickens (hens) as an accessory use in single-family residential zones under the Unified Development Ordinances. The typical allowance is 6 hens per lot on parcels under 1 acre, with proportionally more allowed on larger lots. Roosters are prohibited due to noise. Coops and runs must be at least 15 feet from any property line and 25 feet from neighboring dwellings. Coops must be predator-proof, kept sanitary, and screened from public view. Slaughtering on-site is prohibited in residential zones. Eggs may be consumed or given away but commercial sales require home-business compliance. Chickens must be confined; free-ranging birds that leave the property are subject to the animal-at-large provisions.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem driveways require permits for new curb cuts and must meet UDO standards for width and paving material. Residential driveways limited to 24 feet...
Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem street parking is free in residential areas with 72-hour maximum stays. Downtown has metered parking with enforcement 8 AM to 6 PM Monday throu...
Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem defines abandoned vehicles as those parked on public streets over 72 hours or inoperative vehicles on private property. Police tag suspicious v...
Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem prohibits parking of commercial vehicles over 1 ton in residential zoning districts. Semi-trucks, dump trucks, and large delivery vehicles cann...
Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem is not in a designated high-severity wildfire zone, but wooded neighborhoods along Salem Creek, Muddy Creek, and the western edge near Pilot Mo...
Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem permits recreational fire pits under the NC Fire Code (Section 307) when fires are contained, attended, and set back at least 25 feet from stru...
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