AZ · verified 2026-10-27
Tucson, AZ
Short answerYes: the City of Tucson code sets a animal units limit by lot size (up to 24 on lots under 16,000 sq ft, up to 36 on lots of 16,000 to 143,999 sq ft and up to 48 on lots of 144,000 sq ft or more); roosters are banned; the cited code does not mention a permit; and the coop setback is 20 ft.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City of Tucson corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City of Tucson 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: Tucson Unified Development Code § 6.6.5.E Keeping of Food Producing Animals; Tucson Code Chapter 4, Article IV Fowl (§§ 4-55 to 4-59).
At a glance
- Hen cap
- By lot size: 24 animal units (lots under 16,000 sq ft); 36 animal units (lots of 16,000 to 143,999 sq ft); 48 animal units (lots of 144,000 sq ft or more)
- Roosters
- Banned
- Permit & fee
- Code does not mention a permit
- Setback
- 20 ft
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Tucson Unified Development Code § 6.6.5.E Keeping of Food Producing Animals; Tucson Code Chapter 4, Article IV Fowl (§§ 4-55 to 4-59).
How many hens
“The calculation for the maximum number of animals permitted is the lesser of either two (2) Animal Units per 1,000 square feet of the lot size or the maximum total Animal Units of the lot size as follows:”
Each chicken counts as 1 animal unit (a duck 2, a turkey or goose 4). Your limit is the smaller of two numbers: 2 units per 1,000 sq ft of lot, or the cap for your lot size (24, 36 or 48 units). An 8,000 sq ft lot gets 16 chickens. You can ask for more through the city’s 100-foot notice procedure.
Tucson Unified Development Code § 6.6.5.E Keeping of Food Producing Animals; Tucson Code Chapter 4, Article IV Fowl (§§ 4-55 to 4-59).
Roosters
“Uncastrated male miniature goats older than 5 months and male fowl are prohibited.”
Permit and fee
Code does not mention a permit. Ask the city whether a permit is needed before you buy birds.
UDC § 6.6.5.E lists no permit for keeping chickens within these limits. Requests for more animals or smaller setbacks go through the 100-foot notice procedure (UDC 3.3.4).
Setback / screening
“Animal shelters six feet or less in height and sixteen square feet or less in area are not required to setback from side or rear property line , but are required to be behind the principal building and at least 20 feet from the dwelling unit on an abutting property.”
Keep the coop behind your house and at least 20 ft from the neighbor’s home. Shelters taller than 6 ft and bigger than 16 sq ft must also meet the regular accessory-structure setbacks (UDC 6.6.2.D); the OverEZ 8 ft run is 6 ft 3 in tall, so check that rule. Tucson Code § 4-57 still says 50 ft from another person’s home, but the UDC says its standards control when the two conflict.
Also in this section
UDC controls
“The keeping of food producing animals shall be conducted in accordance with this Section 6.6.5.E and the Tucson Code, Chapter 4, Animals and Fowl. In the case of a conflict, the standards of this Section shall control.”
Not in the front yard
“Food producing animals and shelters are prohibited in the buildable area extending the full width of the lot between the principal building and the front street lot line”
12 ft height limit
“The maximum permitted height of an animal shelter is 12 feet.”
Secure the feed
“Food, water, and other items that may attract coyotes, bobcats, javelinas and other predators must be kept in a secure location.”
No running loose
“It shall be unlawful for any person to permit any chickens, ducks, geese or turkeys to run at large within the city.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Tucson, AZ metro list: same stores for every city in this metro.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to Arizona via USPS Priority Mail. Cackle's FAQ lists Arizona 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 — Tucson (#2902)
Tucson — 8535 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85710. (520) 526-2225. Store page lists a livestock department.
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 2026-10-27 against Tucson Unified Development Code § 6.6.5.E Keeping of Food Producing Animals; Tucson Code Chapter 4, Article IV Fowl (§§ 4-55 to 4-59). at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/tucson/latest/tucson_az_udc/0-0-0-23781. Read the live code before you build or order birds.