Can you keep backyard chickens in Nevada?
Nevada cities and counties may regulate and restrict land improvement (NRS 278.020), and county commissioners may regulate animals running at large, so check yours. Whether keepers must register wasn't established.
Read from 5 official sources32 passages quotedChecked October 25, 2026
At a glance
Registering your flock
Where hens can live
Bird-flu housing orders
Welfare rules
Who decides where hens can live
The state law we read gives a named local body its own powers over where hens can live. What the checked sources say:
- To promote health, safety, morals or the general welfare, the governing bodies of Nevada cities and counties may regulate and restrict the improvement of land. A governing body (a city council or other city legislative body, a board of county commissioners, or Carson City’s Board of Supervisors) may divide its area into zoning districts and, except as NRS 278.02071 provides, regulate and restrict the use of buildings, structures or land in them.
- Each board of county commissioners may enact and enforce ordinances regulating or prohibiting the running at large and disposal of all kinds of animals, and prohibiting cruelty to animals.
No statewide permission or prohibition on keeping chickens is established by this finding. Your city or county may zone land use, and your board of county commissioners may regulate animals running at large, so check with them. This page names the state law, not their own ordinances or city charters, and doesn't cover HOA, rooster or setback rules.
Registration: not established in the state sources we read.
The law's own words are quoted under state rules on keeping poultry below.
How to check: Look up the local rules where you live (the ordinances, bylaws or zoning of the body named here), or ask that office, before you get hens.
A sourced reading of Nevada's state law, not legal advice. Local ordinances and zoning, HOA rules, and any local rooster or coop limits aren't covered here yet: check your local code before you get hens.
Keeping your flock
These findings cover the national or state scope stated below. They do not determine whether chickens are allowed at a particular home. City zoning, property restrictions and other local rules are outside this research.
Registering as a poultry keeper
Not established from the sources checked
Jurisdiction: Nevada
Applies to: Nevada Revised Statutes chapter 571 (diseased animals) and Nevada Administrative Code chapter 571, read on 25 October 2026.
Outside this finding's scope
- No registration duty for poultry keepers was found in NRS chapter 571 (read in full) or NAC chapter 571, whose poultry provisions read are entry requirements for birds brought into Nevada. Nevada Department of Agriculture pages on premises registration were not read, so this is not proof that none exists.
Authority: Not established from the sources checked.
Fee: Not established from the sources checked.
Bird-flu housing orders
Current status needs rechecking
Check the official current-status pageOrders can change between checks. A missed check or an expired order does not establish that no order applies.
Housing-order finding as checked on 2026-10-25
The scope and conditions below are a dated record, not confirmation of today's position.
Conditions apply to this finding
Uses housing orders in this scope: Yes, according to the checked evidence, within the limits listed under “Outside this finding’s scope” below.
Jurisdiction: Nevada
Applies to: The quarantine powers of Nevada’s State Quarantine Officer, who is the Director of the State Department of Agriculture (NRS 571.150, 571.170 and 571.180). In this chapter an animal is any living creature other than a human, and livestock includes all poultry or domesticated fowl or birds.
Outside this finding's scope
- These powers do not in terms require birds to be kept indoors, and this finding does not establish that any quarantine or order applies now.
What the checked sources say
- The State Quarantine Officer may inspect, test or quarantine any animal in Nevada that is infected with, suspected of having or exposed to an infectious, contagious or parasitic disease, and compel testing or treatment as often as the officer thinks necessary to suppress disease.
- If an animal is found diseased, the officer may make regulations for its quarantine at once and define the place and limits within which it may be grazed, herded or driven; it may be held in quarantine until released. Quarantined, infected or exposed animals may not be moved from one point to another within an area, or between areas, without the officer’s written permit.
- As checked on 25 October 2026, the Nevada Department of Agriculture’s avian page said sick birds should be quarantined immediately and reported to USDA at (866) 536-7593 or by email to the NDA State Veterinarian, and recommended keeping new or returning birds apart for 30 days before adding them to the flock.
- Current mandatory housing status remains unconfirmed; check the NDA avian page.
- Checked
- Recheck due
Historical evidence, as checked
These quotations record what was checked on the dates shown. They do not confirm an order's current status.
“Animal” means any living creature other than a member of the human race.
NRS 571.017 · Checked
6. All poultry or domesticated fowl or birds.
NRS 571.022(6) · Checked
“State Quarantine Officer” means the Director.
NRS 571.023 · Checked
“Director” means the Director of the Department.
NRS 571.019 · Checked
“Department” means the State Department of Agriculture.
NRS 571.018 · Checked
The State Quarantine Officer may inspect, test or quarantine any animal in the State infected with, suspected of being or which have been exposed to an infectious, contagious or parasitic disease, and compel testing or treatment at such times and as often as the State Quarantine Officer deems necessary to insure the suppression of disease.
NRS 571.150 · Checked
1. If an animal is found diseased, the State Quarantine Officer may make regulations for its quarantine at once, and the State Quarantine Officer may define the place and limits within which the animal may be grazed, herded or driven. Such an animal may be held in quarantine until released by the State Quarantine Officer.
NRS 571.170(1) · Checked
Quarantined animals, and any animals or animal products which have been, or are suspected to have been, infected with or exposed to infectious, contagious or parasitic diseases, must not be removed from one point to another within any area, or from one area to another, without a written permit from the State Quarantine Officer.
NRS 571.180 · Checked
[Rev. 4/15/2026 3:26:29 PM--2025]
NRS chapter 571 page header · Checked
Any birds found to be sick should be immediately quarantined and reported to the USDA at (866) 536-7593 or the NDA by emailing NDA State Veterinarian at
NDA Avian page, reporting paragraph · Checked
Quarantine new birds or birds returning to the flock for 30 days before (re)introduction.
Small-flock welfare minimums
Conditions apply to this finding
Jurisdiction: Nevada
Applies to: Nevada’s cruelty to animals offences (NRS 574.100), where an animal includes every living creature other than humans (NRS 574.050), with the limits in NRS 574.200.
Outside this finding's scope
- NRS 574.050 to 574.510 do not interfere with the right to kill animals and fowl used for food, or prohibit or interfere with established methods of animal husbandry, including raising, handling, feeding, housing and transporting livestock or farm animals. Whether a backyard flock counts as livestock or farm animals here was not established.
- NRS 574.100 does not apply to an animal’s accidental injury or death in the normal course of a rodeo or livestock show or of operating a ranch. The sections read set no numerical space standard for poultry.
What the checked sources say
- Nevada law says a person shall not deprive an animal of necessary sustenance, food or drink, or neglect or refuse to give it such sustenance or drink, and shall not overdrive, overload, torture, cruelly beat or unjustifiably injure, maim, mutilate or kill an animal. Cruelty includes every act, omission or neglect that causes or permits unjustifiable physical pain, suffering or death.
- Except as subsection 6 of NRS 574.100 provides, a first violation within the preceding 7 years is a misdemeanor. Under subsection 6, a person who wilfully and maliciously breaks the rule against torturing or unjustifiably maiming, mutilating or killing an animal kept for companionship or pleasure (or any cat or dog) commits a category D felony, or a category B felony if the act caused the animal’s death. Whether a backyard hen is an animal kept for companionship or pleasure was not established.
The official wording
1. “Animal” does not include the human race, but includes every other living creature.
NRS 574.050(1) · Checked
4. “Torture” or “cruelty” includes every act, omission or neglect, whereby unjustifiable physical pain, suffering or death is caused or permitted.
NRS 574.050(4) · Checked
1. A person shall not:
NRS 574.100(1), opening · Checked
(b) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (a), overdrive, overload, torture, cruelly beat or unjustifiably injure, maim, mutilate or kill an animal, whether belonging to the person or to another;
NRS 574.100(1)(b) · Checked
(c) Deprive an animal of necessary sustenance, food or drink, or neglect or refuse to furnish it such sustenance or drink;
NRS 574.100(1)(c) · Checked
7. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 6, a person who violates subsection 1, 2, 3 or 5: (a) For the first offense within the immediately preceding 7 years, is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be sentenced to:
NRS 574.100(7)(a) · Checked
10. The provisions of this section do not apply with respect to an injury to or the death of an animal that occurs accidentally in the normal course of: (a) Carrying out the activities of a rodeo or livestock show; or (b) Operating a ranch.
NRS 574.100(10) · Checked
1. The provisions of NRS 574.050 to 574.510 , inclusive, do not:
NRS 574.200(1), opening · Checked
(c) Interfere with the right to kill all animals and fowl used for food.
NRS 574.200(1)(c) · Checked
(f) Prohibit or interfere with established methods of animal husbandry, including the raising, handling, feeding, housing and transporting of livestock or farm animals.
NRS 574.200(1)(f) · Checked
(a) Torture or unjustifiably maim, mutilate or kill: (1) An animal kept for companionship or pleasure, whether belonging to the person or to another; or (2) Any cat or dog;
NRS 574.100(1)(a) · Checked
6. A person who: (a) Willfully and maliciously violates paragraph (a) of subsection 1: (1) Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (2) is guilty of a category D felony
NRS 574.100(6)(a)(1) · Checked
(2) If the act caused the death of the animal, is guilty of a category B felony
NRS 574.100(6)(a)(2) · Checked
National or state rules on keeping poultry
Conditions apply to this finding
Jurisdiction: Nevada
Applies to: Nevada cities’ and counties’ planning and zoning powers (NRS 278.020 and 278.250) and county commissioners’ animal ordinance power (NRS 244.359).
Outside this finding's scope
- No statewide permission or prohibition on keeping chickens is established by this finding. Your city or county may zone land use, and your board of county commissioners may regulate animals running at large, so check with them. This page names the state law, not their own ordinances or city charters, and doesn't cover HOA, rooster or setback rules.
What the checked sources say
- To promote health, safety, morals or the general welfare, the governing bodies of Nevada cities and counties may regulate and restrict the improvement of land. A governing body (a city council or other city legislative body, a board of county commissioners, or Carson City’s Board of Supervisors) may divide its area into zoning districts and, except as NRS 278.02071 provides, regulate and restrict the use of buildings, structures or land in them.
- Each board of county commissioners may enact and enforce ordinances regulating or prohibiting the running at large and disposal of all kinds of animals, and prohibiting cruelty to animals.
The official wording
1. For the purpose of promoting health, safety, morals, or the general welfare of the community, the governing bodies of cities and counties are authorized and empowered to regulate and restrict the improvement of land and to control the location and soundness of structures.
NRS 278.020(1) · Checked
“Governing body” means the city council or other legislative body of the city or the board of county commissioners or, in the case of Carson City, the Board of Supervisors.
NRS 278.015 · Checked
1. For the purposes of NRS 278.010 to 278.630 , inclusive, the governing body may divide the city, county or region into zoning districts of such number, shape and area as are best suited to carry out the purposes of NRS 278.010 to 278.630 , inclusive.
NRS 278.250(1), first sentence · Checked
Except as otherwise provided in NRS 278.02071 , within the zoning district, it may regulate and restrict the erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair or use of buildings, structures or land.
NRS 278.250(1), second sentence · Checked
[Rev. 9/9/2026 11:38:58 AM--2026R1]
NRS chapter 278 page header · Checked
1. Each board of county commissioners may enact and enforce an ordinance or ordinances:
NRS 244.359(1), opening · Checked
(b) Regulating or prohibiting the running at large and disposal of all kinds of animals.
NRS 244.359(1)(b) · Checked
(d) Prohibiting cruelty to animals.
NRS 244.359(1)(d) · Checked
Bird flu right now? PoultryPal's bird-flu tracker for Nevada has the latest we've checked.
Next door
Every state on the map →Common questions
- Do I have to register backyard chickens in Nevada?
- Registration: not established. The finding covers: Nevada Revised Statutes chapter 571 (diseased animals) and Nevada Administrative Code chapter 571, read on 25 October 2026. Outside this finding's scope: No registration duty for poultry keepers was found in NRS chapter 571 (read in full) or NAC chapter 571, whose poultry provisions read are entry requirements for birds brought into Nevada. Nevada Department of Agriculture pages on premises registration were not read, so this is not proof that none exists.
- Can I keep chickens in my backyard in Nevada?
- The state law we read gives a named local body its own powers over where hens can live. To promote health, safety, morals or the general welfare, the governing bodies of Nevada cities and counties may regulate and restrict the improvement of land. A governing body (a city council or other city legislative body, a board of county commissioners, or Carson City’s Board of Supervisors) may divide its area into zoning districts and, except as NRS 278.02071 provides, regulate and restrict the use of buildings, structures or land in them. Each board of county commissioners may enact and enforce ordinances regulating or prohibiting the running at large and disposal of all kinds of animals, and prohibiting cruelty to animals. No statewide permission or prohibition on keeping chickens is established by this finding. Your city or county may zone land use, and your board of county commissioners may regulate animals running at large, so check with them. This page names the state law, not their own ordinances or city charters, and doesn't cover HOA, rooster or setback rules. Look up the local rules where you live (the ordinances, bylaws or zoning of the body named here), or ask that office, before you get hens.
- Do I have to keep my hens indoors for bird flu in Nevada?
- Housing orders come and go, so we never show one as current. This page links the official status page to check today. PoultryPal's bird-flu tracker page for Nevada has the latest we've checked.
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