NC · verified 2026-10-21
Wilmington, NC
Short answerYes: the City of Wilmington code allows up to 5 birds; roosters are banned; a permit is required, but the code lists no fee; and the coop setback is 10 ft.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City of Wilmington corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City of Wilmington 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: Sec. 6-2. Poultry, livestock and wild animals.
At a glance
- Hen cap
- Up to 5 hens
- Roosters
- Banned
- Permit & fee
- Permit required, fee not listed in the code
- Setback
- 10 ft
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Sec. 6-2. Poultry, livestock and wild animals.
How many hens
“No more than five (5) female chickens shall be kept or maintained by a property owner.”
Hens are allowed only in single-family residential zoning districts, on lots of at least 15,000 sq ft.
Sec. 6-2. Poultry, livestock and wild animals.
Roosters
“It shall be unlawful to keep roosters, geese, ducks, doves, grouse, guinea fowl, partridges, pea fowl, pheasants, quail, swans, or turkeys within the city.”
Permit and fee
“No person may keep within the city any poultry except in accordance with a permit issued pursuant to this section.”
Sec. 6-2 does not list a fee. Ask the city code enforcement office for the current permit fee.
Setback / screening
“No enclosure shall be erected or maintained within the front or side yard (as defined by the zoning ordinance), within ten (10) feet of any property line or within twenty-five (25) feet of another residence;”
10 ft from any property line and 25 ft from any other residence, and never in the front or side yard.
Coop and run size
“The enclosure shall have a minimum of ten (10) square feet of area for each poultry;”
Also in this section
Lot size
“The lot shall consist of at least fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet under single ownership or control;”
“Poultry shall only be permitted in single family residential zoning districts;”
“Such poultry must be contained in a secure fenced enclosure at all times;”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Cape Fear (Wilmington), NC metro list: same stores for every city in this metro.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to North Carolina via USPS Priority Mail. Cackle's FAQ lists North Carolina 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 — Wilmington (#3194)
Wilmington — 4310 Shipyard Blvd, Unit 102, Wilmington, NC 28403. (910) 781-8409. Store page lists a Feed Center with equine, livestock and poultry feed.
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 or Coastal finish; the Farmhouse finish was out of stock); Wooden 8 ft run $1,899.00. Prices as shown on overezchickencoop.com on 2026-10-21. OverEZ lists its smaller 5-chicken coop as out of stock.
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 islands or on roads a truck cannot reach may need to pick up at a freight terminal.
Vet
Rocky Point Animal Hospital
Rocky Point — 9185 US Hwy 117 South, Rocky Point, NC 28457, about 20 miles north of Wilmington. Its backyard poultry page says Dr. Joni Shimp sees chickens and other poultry by appointment (she is the only vet there who does). Call 910-602-6633.
Verified 2026-10-21 against Sec. 6-2. Poultry, livestock and wild animals. at https://library.municode.com/nc/wilmington/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIIGEOR_CH6OFIS_ARTIMI_S6-2POLIWIAN. Read the live code before you build or order birds.