Alabama has no statewide law on backyard chickens, so the rules that govern your flock come from your county’s zoning ordinance, your city’s ordinance if you’re inside city limits, and any HOA covenants recorded against your property. Because Alabama chicken laws vary by county and by city, two houses a mile apart can face very different limits on flock size, roosters, permits, and how far the coop has to sit from the property line. Check all three layers before you buy chicks.
How the Rules Are Layered
Counties and cities regulate chickens through their zoning codes. Land is divided into districts, and whether hens are allowed usually depends on which district your lot falls in. Agricultural and rural zones are almost always permissive. Residential zones are where permits, flock caps, rooster bans, and coop setbacks appear.
The layering trips people up. Your property may sit inside both a county’s jurisdiction and a city’s, and the city can be stricter than the county. A county might have no chicken restrictions while the city inside it requires a permit and caps you at six hens. If you live in an unincorporated area, only the county rules apply.
Some jurisdictions offer zoning variances for residents who want chickens in a district that doesn’t normally allow them. In Huntsville, variance requests go through the Board of Zoning Adjustment, which requires a notarized application and written notice to every property owner within 500 feet of the lot.1City of Huntsville. Zoning Variance and Special Exception Neighbors can appear at the public hearing.
Major Alabama Counties and Cities
What follows is the current information for the largest jurisdictions in the file. Ordinances change; confirm with your local planning or zoning office before you spend money on a coop.
Jefferson County and Birmingham
Jefferson County allows backyard chickens and ducks in most single-family detached and duplex zone districts, but you need a Miscellaneous Permit from the county’s Planning and Zoning division before any birds arrive.2Jefferson County. Backyard Chickens (Hens) and Ducks The permit process may include limits on coop size and bird count depending on your zone.
Birmingham runs its own ordinance. No chicken permit is required, but zoning applies. Up to 25 chickens are allowed for personal family consumption, with no more than two roosters. Poultry houses must be at least 15 feet from any property line and 100 feet from the nearest neighboring residential structure. The 100-foot buffer is hard to meet on a small city lot.
Baldwin County
Baldwin County permits hens in single-family residential districts across several planning districts, but roosters are excluded. The minimum lot size is half an acre, and you can keep up to eight hens per half acre.3Baldwin County, Alabama. Zoning Ordinance (Updated 5-20-2025) If you combine chickens with goats or horses, the acreage minimums stack.
The county’s ordinance also reminds owners to check their HOA covenants and deed restrictions separately. The county won’t step into HOA disputes even if its zoning allows the birds.3Baldwin County, Alabama. Zoning Ordinance (Updated 5-20-2025)
Montgomery
Montgomery permits chickens outright in its two agricultural zoning districts, AGR-1 and AGR-2. In the standard residential districts (R-125 through R-50), chickens are only allowed by special exception from the Board of Adjustment, which involves a public hearing. Roosters are prohibited citywide.4City of Montgomery. Chickens and Other Agriculture
Huntsville and Madison County
Huntsville requires no permit, which keeps the initial barrier low. The trade-off is space. Each bird needs a minimum of 15 square feet of ground space, so a flock of six hens needs 90 square feet of pen. The bigger constraint is the 150-foot setback: all poultry pens must sit at least 150 feet from any dwelling other than your own. That distance rules out most standard suburban lots.
Roosters are technically legal in Huntsville, but the city’s animal control officers note that most poultry noise complaints involve roosters. A neighbor complaint can still lead to enforcement even though no outright ban exists.
Mobile
Mobile requires a permit from the city director before you can keep any domestic fowl. The city’s definition is broad: chickens, ducks, geese, guineas, quail, and others. The permit costs $25 annually and includes an initial animal control inspection. Zoning applies too, so fowl can only be kept in zones designated for that purpose.
Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa allows up to six hens on standard residential lots, subject to zoning limits. Roosters are banned within city limits. The city requires an annual pet license covering up to six fowl. Coops must sit at least 20 feet from property lines and must be located in the rear yard.
Shelby County
Shelby County requires poultry to be kept at least 100 feet from any property line.5Shelby County, Alabama. Zoning Districts in Shelby County That setback is among the largest in Alabama and effectively limits chicken keeping to properties with real acreage. Call the Shelby County zoning office for flock size limits and permit details; the published materials don’t lay out every rule in one place.
Rooster Rules Vary the Most
Roosters are where Alabama jurisdictions diverge sharpest. Montgomery and Tuscaloosa ban them outright within city limits. Baldwin County excludes roosters from residential animal husbandry provisions, even on larger lots.3Baldwin County, Alabama. Zoning Ordinance (Updated 5-20-2025) Birmingham allows up to two roosters within its 25-bird cap. Huntsville allows roosters without a formal limit but enforces noise complaints aggressively.
On unincorporated rural land zoned agricultural, rooster restrictions are rare. Conflicts arise mostly in residential zones where neighbors can hear a 4 a.m. crow. Even where roosters are legal, a persistent noise complaint can pull animal control in, so the practical rule is tighter than the written one.
Coop Placement and Setbacks
Setback distances vary enough that you need your specific jurisdiction’s numbers before choosing a spot in the yard. The verified requirements from the file:
- Birmingham: 15 feet from property lines, 100 feet from the nearest neighboring residence
- Huntsville: 150 feet from any dwelling other than your own
- Tuscaloosa: 20 feet from property lines, rear yard only
- Shelby County: 100 feet from any property line
Most jurisdictions expect coops to be predator-proof and weather-resistant. Ventilation, secure latches, and covered runs cut down on the pest and odor problems that draw complaints. Waste management matters too. Chicken manure accumulates fast, and odor or rodents alone can trigger a code violation in most places. Composting regularly and keeping the coop dry are the standard practices.
HOA Covenants Can Override Zoning
Even where the county and city allow backyard chickens, your homeowners association can prohibit them. HOA covenants and deed restrictions (often called CC&Rs) are private contracts that run with the property, and they frequently ban livestock or poultry regardless of zoning. Over 35 percent of new Alabama homes are in HOA-governed subdivisions, one of the highest rates in the South.
Before spending on a coop or chicks, pull the recorded plat and CC&Rs from your county probate office or your HOA management company. If the covenants prohibit poultry, zoning approval won’t protect you. HOA violations can bring fines, liens on the property, and forced removal of the flock.
Selling Eggs from Your Backyard Flock
Alabama law exempts producers who sell eggs from their own hens only from the state’s egg dealer licensing requirements.6Justia Law. Alabama Code 2-12-6 – Exemptions As long as you’re not buying eggs from other sources to resell, no state egg permit is needed. That exemption doesn’t override local business licensing or health department rules, so check with your city or county before running a roadside stand.
Selling poultry meat is a different matter. The Poultry Products Inspection Act has a personal use exemption for slaughtering your own birds for your household, guests, and employees. A separate exemption covers small producers who process no more than 1,000 chickens in a calendar year, though those birds can only be sold under limited conditions and with specific labeling. Above those thresholds, USDA inspection applies.
What Happens If You Break the Rules
Enforcement in most Alabama jurisdictions is complaint-driven. Without a complaint, surprise inspections are unlikely. Once a neighbor calls animal control or files a zoning complaint, the process moves fast. Cities that don’t require a chicken permit will still send an officer for odor, noise, or sanitation complaints.
Penalties vary but typically start with a notice to correct the violation within a set number of days. If you don’t comply, fines follow. Repeated or serious violations can escalate to mandatory flock removal and, in some places, misdemeanor charges. Jefferson County routes complaints to its Planning and Zoning division, which can revoke the Miscellaneous Permit required to keep birds.2Jefferson County. Backyard Chickens (Hens) and Ducks The cheapest way to avoid trouble is to build clean, keep odor under control, and talk to your immediate neighbors before the first chick arrives.