Maryland, like many other states, has no statewide ordinance governing the keeping of backyard chickens. Instead, each municipality is tasked with enacting its own chicken-keeping ordinance. As a result, it is legal to own chickens in some Maryland cities and illegal in others. Whether you can own chickens or not in Maryland depends on where you live. It is legal to own chickens in virtually all agricultural zones. However, there are specific restrictions in place when it comes to urban backyard chicken farming. Then again, there are HOA laws.
Even if it is legal to own chickens in your city, your HOA law may prohibit them. If you live in a HOA community, that is. If you live in a residential area in Maryland and are considering having backyard chickens, it's important to check with your city to determine whether chickens are allowed in your locality. You can do so by giving your local animal control office a friendly call. Alternatively, you can search for your city's animal ordinance online or contact your city clerk's office. Meantime, I've listed in this article ten Maryland cities that allow backyard chickens. If you don't find your city on this list, contact your local authorities.
1. Baltimore City, MD
With a permit from the Office of Animal Control, you can have backyard chickens in the City of Baltimore. Under the permit, you may keep a maximum of 4 chickens on a lot less than 2,000 square feet. Then for every 1,000 square feet of lot area, 1 additional chicken is allowed, up to a maximum of 10 chickens. The Baltimore City Health Department requires that all chickens be provided with a clean and adequately sized covered enclosure or pen. Such enclosure or pen must not be closer than 15 feet to any residence. Chicken pens must provide a minimum of 2 square feet of living space per hen.
2. Columbia, MD
In Columbia, MD, raising backyard chickens is allowed in residential areas. According to the Howard County Zoning regulations, up to 8 chickens are allowed per residential parcel or lot improved with a single-family detached dwelling. Roosters are not permitted and hens must be kept for personal use only.
3. Germantown, MD
In Germantown, the third-most populous community in Maryland, it is legal to raise chickens on residential properties. Chicken coops are restricted to be in the rear yard. Additionally, they must be located 25 feet from a lot line and 100 feet from a dwelling on another lot, according to Montgomery County's website. The keeping of chickens is permitted on all agricultural and single-family zoned properties in residential zones.
4. Frederick, MD
In the city of Frederick, MD, you are required to obtain a $50 license for the keeping of backyard chickens. Chickens are allowed to be kept on residential lots containing a single-family detached dwelling unit or a duplex. The lot, as required by the city code, must have an area of at least 2,500 square feet. Per every 500 square feet of backyard area, one female chicken is allowed, up to a maximum of 6 hens. Owning chickens without first obtaining a license as required by the Frederick City Code is deemed a municipal infraction, an offense punishable by a fine of $500.
5. Waldorf, MD
You can keep chickens as pets and for personal use on your residential property in Waldorf, MD, provided you meet specific conditions. According to the Charles County Code, chickens must be kept in a humane, secure, and sanitary fashion, so as not to create a nuisance to the public. On a property of less than 2 acres, 2 chickens are allowed per acre. Four chickens are allowed per acre for properties greater than 2 acres.
6. Glen Burnie, MD
The Anne Arundel County Council passed a Bill in November 2013, allowing chickens and ducks in residential districts. If you live in the town of Glen Burnie, MD, the bill allows you to keep chickens and ducks on a lot of less than 40,000 square feet. Roosters aren't allowed to be kept on lots less than 40,000 square feet. On lots less than 40,000 square feet, a license is required to keep chickens and ducks. However, you don't need a license if you are keeping chickens or ducks on a lot greater than 40,000 square feet.
7. Gaithersburg, MD
The keeping of backyard chickens is allowed in the city of Gaithersburg, MD, so long as it does not constitute a nuisance or a menace to public health or safety. The city code requires chickens to be kept in a secure pen or enclosure that is at least 5 feet from any adjoining property lines. In addition, the pen or enclosure is required to be situated at least 30 feet from any inhabited dwelling other than the chicken owner's residence. A maximum of 6 chickens is permitted per residential lot. To exceed this number, your chicken enclosure must be located 200 feet from neighboring dwellings.
8. Rockville, MD
In Rockville, MD, you can have up to 5 backyard chickens at a single-family home, provided you obtain a permit from the city. Roosters are not allowed and the keeping of chickens is not allowed at townhouses. You are not permitted to slaughter chickens on your property. The Permit process begins with notifying your neighbors and ends with registering with the State of Maryland.
9. Annapolis, MD
With a permit from the Department of Planning and Zoning, you can have up to 5 backyard chickens in the city of Annapolis, MD. The city code requires all chickens to be kept in a sturdy coop attached to a secure enclosure. Such enclosure must have a setback of at least five feet from the property line.
10. Salisbury, MD
The Salisbury City Council approved an ordinance in 2015, allowing property owners to have backyard chickens within City limits. The City is happy to allow its residents to grow their own food. However, you are required to register your chickens with the MD Dept. of Agriculture. Each household is permitted to have up to 6 backyard chickens. The keeping of roosters and drakes (male ducks) is prohibited. Also, the keeping of a chicken pen closer than 5 feet to any residence or property line is prohibited.
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