NE · verified 2026-10-28
Lincoln, NE
Short answerYes: the City of Lincoln code allows up to 20 birds; roosters are banned; a permit is required, but the code lists no fee; and the coop setback is 50 ft.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City of Lincoln corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City of Lincoln 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.
At a glance
- Hen cap
- Up to 20 hens
- Roosters
- Banned
- Permit & fee
- Permit required, fee not listed in the code
- Setback
- 50 ft
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Lincoln Municipal Code § 6.04.040 Pigeons, Small Animal, and Fowl Permit Requirements (Table 6.04.040) and § 6.04.041 Keeping of Roosters Prohibited.
How many hens
“Chickens, ducks or other fowl weighing 3 - 5 lbs. 3 times number of fowl 3 - 20”
On a lot of 1 acre or less: up to 20 chickens weighing 3 to 5 lb, with a permit once you keep 3 or more. Table 6.04.040 puts fowl weighing 5 to 20 lb in a separate row (permit at 2, max 5), so check your breed’s weight. Bantams under 3 lb: permit at 7, max 30. Limits double for each additional acre.
Lincoln Municipal Code § 6.04.040 Pigeons, Small Animal, and Fowl Permit Requirements (Table 6.04.040) and § 6.04.041 Keeping of Roosters Prohibited.
Roosters
“No person shall, within the corporate limits of the City, own, keep or harbor live roosters.”
Permit and fee
“It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or harbor small animals or fowl, without a permit, in numbers equal to or greater than the minimum provided in Table 6.04.040.”
For 3 to 5 lb chickens the permit starts at 3 birds, so 1 or 2 hens need no permit. Apply to the Animal Control Director (§ 6.04.070). The fee is not in this chapter.
Setback / screening
“Within pens, enclosures or shelters closer than fifty feet to a neighboring residence; or”
Pens and coops at least 50 ft from any neighboring home and at least 5 ft from the neighboring property line.
Coop and run size
“Chickens, ducks or other fowl weighing 3 - 5 lbs. 3 times number of fowl”
Also in this section
5 ft from property line
“Within pens, enclosures or shelters closer than five feet to a neighboring property line.”
Hard floor on small lots
“The flooring or pads of all such pens, enclosures, and shelters shall be of a hard-surface material if the total area of the premises is less than 7,500 square feet.”
Weekly manure removal
“The owner of any large or small animal or fowl shall in a sanitary manner remove or dispose of all offal, manure, and waste material accumulating from such animal or fowl at least once every seven days.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Lincoln, NE metro list: same stores for every city in this metro.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to Nebraska via USPS Priority Mail. Cackle's FAQ lists Nebraska 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 — Lincoln North (#332)
Lincoln — 7300 Husker Cir, Lincoln, NE 68504. (402) 476-2292. 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 2026-10-28 against Lincoln Municipal Code § 6.04.040 Pigeons, Small Animal, and Fowl Permit Requirements (Table 6.04.040) and § 6.04.041 Keeping of Roosters Prohibited. at https://online.encodeplus.com/regs/lincoln-ne/ereader/files/basic-html/page523.html. Read the live code before you build or order birds.