Backyard chicken laws in Iowa
8 of the 17 Iowa 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 Iowa cities
Click your city for hen limits, permits, setbacks, and the official code — verified and cited.
Ankeny◐ Conditional · 6 hensBettendorf✗ Not allowedBurlington◐ Conditional · 12 hensCedar Falls✓ Allowed · 10 hensCedar Rapids✓ Allowed · 6 hensClinton◐ Conditional · 6 hensCouncil Bluffs✓ Allowed · 10 hensDavenport✓ Allowed · 6 hensDes Moines✓ Allowed · 30 hensDubuque✓ AllowedIowa City✓ Allowed · 4 hensMarion◐ Conditional · 6 hensMarshalltown✗ Not allowedMason City◐ Conditional · 25 hensOttumwa✓ Allowed · 6 hensUrbandale◐ Conditional · 2 hensWest Des Moines◐ Conditional
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