CA · verified 2026-10-23
San Francisco, CA
Short answerYes: the City and County of San Francisco code allows up to 4 chickens, other poultry, rabbits and other small animals, dogs and cats combined per premises; the cited code does not mention roosters; the cited code does not mention a permit; and the coop setback is 20 ft.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City and County of San Francisco corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City and County of San Francisco corporate limits only. An HOA or neighborhood covenant can still ban hens. Those private rules are usually not public, so HenCheck does not look them up.
Primary source: Health Code Sec. 37. Keeping and Feeding of Small Animals, Poultry and Game Birds.
At a glance
- Hen cap
- Up to 4 chickens, other poultry, rabbits and other small animals, dogs and cats combined per premises
- Roosters
- Not addressed in the cited code
- Permit & fee
- Code does not mention a permit
- Setback
- 20 ft
Code cite: Health Code Sec. 37. Keeping and Feeding of Small Animals, Poultry and Game Birds.
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Health Code Sec. 37. Keeping and Feeding of Small Animals, Poultry and Game Birds.
How many hens
“more than a total of four of the following in any combination: dogs of age six months or older unless part of a dog kennel, hares, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice, gerbils, chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, doves, pigeons, game birds of any species, or cats.”
In residential districts, hens count toward one limit of four animals per premises that also includes dogs over six months, cats, rabbits and other listed animals. A home with one dog and one cat can keep two hens.
Health Code Sec. 37. Keeping and Feeding of Small Animals, Poultry and Game Birds.
Roosters
The cited code section does not mention roosters. Ask the city before you keep one.
Sec. 37 counts chickens without separating hens and roosters; it does not name roosters.
Permit and fee
Code does not mention a permit. Ask the city whether a permit is needed before you buy birds.
Sec. 37 lists no permit or fee for four or fewer animals, but coops must be approved by the Director of Public Health.
Setback / screening
“Where the coops or enclosures are located on the outside of or on top of any buildings, premises or structures, the coops or enclosures shall be not less than 20 feet from any door or window of any building used for human habitation.”
The 20 ft is measured from any door or window of a home, including your own, not from the property line.
Also in this section
Coop approval
“shall keep same in coops or enclosures that are approved by the Director of Public Health.”
No commercial keeping
“It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to engage in the business of keeping, feeding, or breeding any hares, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice, gerbils, chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, doves, pigeons, parrots of any species, game birds of any species, dogs, cats, for commercial purposes, within the residential districts.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared San Francisco Bay Area, CA metro list: same stores for every city in this metro.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to California via USPS Priority Mail. Cackle's FAQ lists California among the states it ships to, with chicks going out Mondays and Wednesdays from February to August and Wednesdays only from August to late October. Order sexed pullets if your city bans roosters or does not address them.
Feed store
Tractor Supply — Gilroy (#1171)
Gilroy — 6881 Cameron Rd, Gilroy, CA 95020. (408) 842-1594. Store page lists livestock feed and farm supplies, including chicken coops, waterers and feeders.
Coop
OverEZ Medium Chicken Coop with Wooden 8 ft Chicken Run
Dimensions: Coop 50¼ in L × 52½ in W × 62¼ in H (includes nesting box), sized by OverEZ for up to 10 chickens; Wooden 8 ft run 8 ft W × 8 ft L × 6 ft 3 in H
Price: Coop $1,699.00 (Classic, Farmhouse or Coastal finish); Wooden 8 ft run $1,899.00. Prices as shown on overezchickencoop.com on 2026-10-22.
The coop footprint is about 4.2 ft × 4.4 ft and the run is 8 ft × 8 ft, so with the coop at the end of the run plan on roughly 8 ft × 12.5 ft. Measure your setback from the cited code before you pick a spot, and check any height limit: the run is 6 ft 3 in tall. OverEZ ships coops and runs by tractor-trailer freight to the end of your driveway; homes on roads a truck cannot reach may need to pick up at a freight terminal.
Vet
No verified poultry vet yet
We have not confirmed a clinic here that says it treats chickens. Call local vets and ask before you need one.
Verified 2026-10-23 against Health Code Sec. 37. Keeping and Feeding of Small Animals, Poultry and Game Birds. at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/san_francisco/latest/sf_health/0-0-0-43. Read the live code before you build or order birds.