SC · verified 2026-10-21
Spartanburg, SC
Short answerYes: the City of Spartanburg code allows up to 6 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 Spartanburg corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City of Spartanburg 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. 6-14. Raising or keeping domesticated female chickens generally.
At a glance
- Hen cap
- Up to 6 hens
- Roosters
- Banned
- Permit & fee
- Permit required, fee not listed in the code
- Setback
- 50 ft
Code cite: Sec. 6-14. Raising or keeping domesticated female chickens generally.
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Sec. 6-14. Raising or keeping domesticated female chickens generally.
How many hens
“No more than six domesticated female chickens shall be kept or maintained on a single premises.”
Sec. 6-14. Raising or keeping domesticated female chickens generally.
Roosters
“It shall be unlawful to keep roosters or more than six domesticated female chickens.”
Permit and fee
“The permit fee will be set by the city council in its adoption of the annual city budget and fee schedule.”
You need an annual permit and city approval of the coop location before you keep hens, and no permit is issued without the written consent of the abutting property owners. Ask the city for the current fee.
Setback / screening
“The coop shall be cleaned regularly with all droppings and excretions placed in a flyproof container unless otherwise disposed of in accordance with any federal, state or located at least 50 feet from the nearest residence other than that of the owner.”
The sentence is garbled as published, but it places the coop at least 50 feet from the nearest home other than yours. The coop also has to be in the back yard, not the front or side yard.
Coop and run size
“A minimum of two square feet per domesticated female chicken shall be provided for the chicken coop.”
Also in this section
Neighbor consent
“No permit shall be issued without the written consent of abutting property owners.”
“No coop shall be placed in a front or side yard.”
“It shall be unlawful to keep or maintain domesticated female chickens at a duplex or apartment complex.”
“Domesticated female chickens must be kept in a fenced enclosure at all times.”
“Chicken coops shall be enclosed on all sides and shall have a roof and doors.”
“It shall be unlawful to slaughter any domesticated female chickens on the premises.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Upstate SC (Spartanburg) metro list: same stores for every city in this metro.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to South Carolina via USPS Priority Mail. Cackle's FAQ lists South 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 — Spartanburg (#503)
Spartanburg — 2091 East Main St, Spartanburg, SC 29307. (864) 577-9288. 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 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
Spartan Veterinary Services
Spartanburg area (mobile, based in Roebuck) — Mobile mixed-animal practice based in Roebuck, SC, with no clinic address. Its site says it offers on-site care for horses, cattle, small ruminants, pigs and poultry. Call (864) 577-5596.
Verified 2026-10-21 against Sec. 6-14. Raising or keeping domesticated female chickens generally. at https://library.municode.com/sc/spartanburg/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH6AN_S6-14RAKEDOFECHGE. Read the live code before you build or order birds.