Are Chickens Allowed in Las Vegas?

BySusan Medlin

Yes — you can keep chickens in Las Vegas city limits, but there are rules and restrictions. Whether your property is zoned appropriately, how many chickens you want, how close you are to neighbors, and whether you’ve gotten necessary permissions all matter. Below is a detailed summary of what the laws currently allow, what restrictions exist, and what you’ll need to check before setting up a coop.

What the Law Allows

  • Residents of the City of Las Vegas may keep up to 10 chickens on their single-family residence property.
  • Coops and runs must be fenced and kept in a manner compliant with city odor and waste-nuisance codes.
  • Coops may not be located closer than 20 feet to a neighbor’s home.
  • Crowing roosters are not allowed. Only hens.
  • Written consent is required from each adjacent property owner when the chickens are located within a certain proximity to their home.
  • Poultry must be confined within a coop/outbuilding or enclosed runway. The enclosure must be kept clean, free of offensive odors, flies, rodents, or other pest/disease concerns.

What the Restrictions & Conditions Are

Zoning & Property Type

Being zoned properly is essential. If your lot is in a residential zone, there are specific limits. Some zones may outright prohibit chickens or livestock. Also, Clark County (outside the Las Vegas city limits) has stricter zoning where many residential areas do not allow chickens.

Neighbor Consent & Setbacks

  • If the chicken coop or run is too close to another dwelling, you need written consent from those neighbors.
  • Distance required from neighbor houses is generally 20 feet for coop/run structures in city limits.
  • In general, poultry cannot be kept within 350 feet of any other dwelling unless written consent is provided.

Animal Welfare / Sanitation Requirements

  • Coops and runs must be kept clean. Animal waste must be managed to avoid odors, flies, pests, etc.
  • No poultry may be kept in any dwelling house, basement, sub-basement, or cellar.
  • Poultry must always be confined in a proper coop or runway. They cannot roam freely.

What Is Not Allowed

  • No roosters. The ordinance specifically bans crowing roosters.
  • Breeding or raising chickens for commercial sale or slaughter is not permitted in city-residential parcels.
  • Poultry cannot be kept within certain distances of other dwellings unless written neighbor consent is given.

Real-World Issues & Enforcement

Here are some of the practical things people in Las Vegas have experienced:

  • Residents in certain parts of the Las Vegas Valley have been cited by code enforcement because their homes are zoned in ways that don’t allow chickens. Zoning matters a lot.
  • Even when chickens are allowed, you may need neighbor permission. That means talking to neighboring property owners and getting their sign-offs.
  • HOAs or deed restrictions (if your property is part of one) may have additional rules that could override or add to city zoning. Always check your HOA or covenants. (People in Summerlin, for example, report CC&Rs that restrict chickens even if city ordinance might allow them under certain conditions.)

What You Should Do If You Want Chickens in Las Vegas

  • Check your zoning classification with the City of Las Vegas planning or animal control department to see if your parcel is in a zone where chickens are allowed. If not, you may face enforcement action.
  • If chickens are permitted, get written consent from all adjacent neighbors if your coop/run is too close to their dwellings or within the setback‐distance.
  • Make sure your coop and run meet the distance / setback rules (usually 20 feet from neighbor’s home or others depending on local measurement) and are clean, secure, and do not cause odor or pest issues.
  • Ensure no roosters, keep only hens, don’t use the flock for commercial production or slaughter (unless permitted in a non-residential / agricultural zone).
  • If you’re in an HOA, check the covenants, conditions, & restrictions — these might impose stricter rules. Even if the city allows it, HOAs might ban it.
  • Keep good records (neighbor consents, photos of coop setup) in case there is a complaint.

Summary

So, to wrap up: yes — chickens are allowed in Las Vegas, under the right conditions. You can keep up to 10 hens in the city if your property meets zoning rules, your coop is set up properly, you avoid using roosters, and you get neighbor consent where needed. If any of those don’t check out, you may run into trouble with city or county code enforcement.

If you like, I can pull up the exact text of the Las Vegas municipal code for chickens as of 2025, or give you a map showing which zones allow chickens — would you prefer that? 🐔