OH · verified 2026-10-23
Columbus, OH
Short answerYes: the City of Columbus code allows backyard hens, but the cited section sets no number; roosters are banned; the code lists a permit fee of $100 (four-year individual owner permit); and the coop setback is 3 ft.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City of Columbus corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City of Columbus 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: Columbus City Health Code 221.05 Standards relative to animals (fowl standards in 221.05 (c); fees in 221.05 (h)).
At a glance
- Hen cap
- No number set in the cited code section
- Roosters
- Banned
- Permit & fee
- $100 (four-year individual owner permit)
- Setback
- 3 ft
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Columbus City Health Code 221.05 Standards relative to animals (fowl standards in 221.05 (c); fees in 221.05 (h)).
How many hens
“Unless specified in section 221.05 (c) (9) or 221.05 (d) (6), the number of animals that are allowed to be kept on any premise, lot, or parcel of land in the City will be determined by the Department.”
There is no fixed number. Columbus Public Health sets it from the size of your coop and run: Table 1 in 221.05 (c)(9) requires 1.5 sq ft per laying hen inside the coop and 8 sq ft per hen in the run, and the lower count wins. Within the 64 sq ft coop-and-run limit that works out to about six laying hens. A permit is required for any chickens.
Columbus City Health Code 221.05 Standards relative to animals (fowl standards in 221.05 (c); fees in 221.05 (h)).
Roosters
“Domestic animals requiring a permit that are considered to be noisy by the Department, or are subsequently determined to be noisy by the Department, are prohibited for individual owners on any premise, lot, or parcel of land. The following animals are prohibited: i. Roosters”
Peafowl, geese, turkeys and donkeys are also banned for individual owners.
Permit and fee
“Four year permit, individual owner, one-hundred dollars ($100.00)”
A $50 plan review fee is due with the application. Applicants eligible for SNAP or WIC pay no fees.
Setback / screening
“A coop and/or run may not be located in a front yard or side yard area and shall not be located within three (3) feet of a side or rear yard line.”
The coop and run must be in the back yard, at least 3 ft from side and rear lot lines. Columbus also caps the coop and run together at 64 sq ft and 6 ft tall unless the Department approves more; the OverEZ 8 ft run alone is 64 sq ft and 6 ft 3 in tall, so plan on a smaller run or ask for approval.
Coop and run size
“For individual owner permits, the area for the permanent coop and run shall be limited to sixty-four square feet and six feet in height, unless otherwise approved by the Department.”
Also in this section
Plan review fee
“Plan review application, fifty dollars ($50.00)”
Coop size
“For individual owner permits, the coop shall be no more than thirty-two square feet, unless otherwise approved by the Department.”
One coop
“Individual owners shall have only one permanent coop and run.”
Floor
“Each pen or enclosure shall have a floor of impervious material and be under cover.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Columbus, OH metro list: same stores for every city in this metro.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to Ohio via USPS Priority Mail. Cackle's FAQ lists Ohio 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 — Grove City (#3090)
Grove City — 4515 Beatty Rd, Grove City, OH 43123. (380) 225-1401. 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 Columbus City Health Code 221.05 Standards relative to animals (fowl standards in 221.05 (c); fees in 221.05 (h)). at https://www.columbus.gov/files/content/city/v/31/services/public-health/city-health-code-master_amended_04.09.24.pdf. Read the live code before you build or order birds.