Are Chickens Allowed in Kansas City, Missouri?

Yes — backyard chickens *are allowed* in Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO), under the city’s ordinance for keeping small animals and fowl. However, there are specific rules you’ll need to follow regarding how many chickens you can have, where your coop can be located, setbacks, odor control, rooster rules, and more. Below is a detailed explanation of what is and isn’t permitted.

Official Ordinance Overview

The relevant law is **Ordinance No. 110479** (as amended), Chapter 14, Section 14-15 (“Keeping of small animals and fowl in pens”). This ordinance sets out the conditions for raising chickens and other small animals/fowl in Kansas City.

Key Rules & Regulations You Should Know

Number of chickens: You may keep up to **15 adult chickens (or other domestic fowl four months or older)**. If you have younger birds (< 4 months), you can keep up to 50 of them.
Roosters: A “rooster which crows” must be kept **at least 300 feet** from any residence or dwelling other than that of the owner/keeper.
Coop & Run Location / Setbacks:
– Your pen, coop, or enclosure must be enclosed (all sides) and cannot be closer than **100 feet** to any portion of any building used by humans, except your own home.
– It also may not be closer than **25 feet** to the property line under certain circumstances (especially if for sale/trade, produce market, etc.).
Odor, maintenance, and sanitation:
The coop and surrounding run must be kept clean and sanitary. Odors, flies, rodents must be controlled. Manure must have a watertight, fly-tight receptacle and disposed of or properly composted/used with soil cover. The enclosure must be dry inside, free from infestation.
Additional regulations and exceptions:
– The Director of Health has authority to set further regulations to avoid nuisances or health hazards.
– Special exceptions to distance requirements may be granted if neighbors/owners sign consents, but not for front yards. These exceptions are subject to inspection and renewal.

Recent & Supporting Changes

Recent reporting confirms these rules are in active effect:

City-dwellers are allowed **15 adult chickens**, including roosters, under the condition that coops and pens meet the required setbacks.
In 2024, a Missouri law (HB 2062) changed HOA (Homeowners Association) powers, preventing HOAs from outright banning backyard chickens under some conditions. So even if your HOA has rules restricting chickens, state law now limits their ability to ban them (depending on lot size, number of chickens, etc.).

What This Means in Practice — Sample Situations

Here are hypothetical examples to help you see how the rules apply:

You want 10 hens, no rooster: That’s fine, as long as your coop is properly enclosed, set back at least 100 feet from neighboring dwellings (or other buildings occupied by people), meets property line setbacks, and maintained well.
You want 1 rooster plus hens: Also allowed — but the rooster must be located at least **300 feet from any other dwelling** except your own. If that distance isn’t feasible, it could violate the ordinance.
Your yard is close to neighbors: If you can’t meet the 100-foot or 300-foot setback requirement, you might try to apply for a special exception, but you’ll need signed agreement from neighbors and periodic inspections.

Things to Check Before You Get Chickens

Lot size and zoning: Some residential zones might have additional restrictions. If your lot is very small or your property lines are tight, meeting setback requirements may be difficult.
Homeowners Association (HOA) rules: Even with the new state law, HOAs can impose *reasonable* restriction, though they can’t outright ban backyard chickens in many cases. Confirm both city code *and* HOA covenants.
Neighbor relations: Because setbacks and odor/no-nuisance rules exist, ensuring your coop is well built, clean, and not creating disturbances will help avoid complaints.
Permits or inspections: While Kansas City’s ordinance gives authority for inspections, there doesn’t seem to be a city-wide “permit” you must file just to own chickens (unless doing trade or selling). But always confirm with city public health / animal control or the director of health.

Exceptions & Limitations

If your coop is too near to neighboring residences and you cannot get an exception, it may not be allowed under the ordinance.
Front yards are generally not allowed for pens/coops if they violate setbacks. Exceptions can’t typically be granted for front yard coops.
If odor, pests, or noise become a nuisance, the city can require corrective action or penalize owners. The director of health has authority in these cases.

Conclusion

So in summary: Yes — in **Kansas City, Missouri**, you *can* legally keep chickens, including roosters under conditions. You’re allowed up to **15 adult chickens**, with rules about how far coops must be from other residences (100 feet for coop/pen, 300 feet for roosters that crow), requirements for enclosure, odor control, and possible neighbor consent if you want exceptions.

If you want, I can build a full HTML guide for Kansas City with coop design ideas, pricing, and a comparison table of coops that meet KC rules. Do you want me to do that next?

Are Chickens Allowed in Kansas City, Missouri?