Backyard chicken laws in Virginia
4 of the 20 Virginia cities we’ve verified allow backyard chickens outright; the rest allow them conditionally by zone or lot size. Select your city for hen limits, permits, setbacks, and the official code.
How many hens can you keep?
All Virginia cities
Click your city for hen limits, permits, setbacks, and the official code — verified and cited.
Alexandria◐ ConditionalBlacksburg◐ Conditional · 6 hensChesapeake◐ Conditional · 6 hensDanville◐ Conditional · 9 hensFredericksburg◐ Conditional · 4 hensHampton◐ Conditional · 6 hensHarrisonburg◐ Conditional · 6 hensLeesburg◐ ConditionalLynchburg✓ Allowed · 4 hensManassas✗ Not allowedNewport News◐ Conditional · 6 hensNorfolk✓ Allowed · 6 hensPetersburg◐ Conditional · 20 hensPortsmouth◐ Conditional · 6 hensRichmond✓ Allowed · 6 hensRoanoke✓ Allowed · 10 hensSalem◐ ConditionalSuffolk◐ ConditionalVirginia Beach✗ Not allowedWinchester◐ Conditional · 6 hens
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