---
title: Northern Rockies backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules
question: "Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Northern Rockies?"
place: Northern Rockies, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/northern-rockies
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: Northern Rockies Regional Municipality
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/northern-rockies/backyard-chickens/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/northern-rockies/backyard-chickens.json"
---

# Northern Rockies backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

**Question:** Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Northern Rockies?

**Short answer:** Northern Rockies Regional Municipality has no rule written for hens or bees. Poultry counts as a "hobby farm" use, which the zoning bylaws allow in the RR-1 and RR-2 zones (and A-1 and A-2 in the townsite). The Animal Control bylaw does not cover birds. Ask the municipality before keeping hens.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, https://www.northernrockies.ca)  
**Cost:** No permit or fee for hens or bees was found.  
**How long:** Not applicable.  
**Where:**
- In person: Municipal Hall, Regional Development and Planning, 5319 - 50th Avenue South, Fort Nelson, BC V0C 1R0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Phone: Regional Development and Planning, 250.774.2541 option 8

## Key facts

- **Hens allowed:** No hen-specific rule found. Keeping poultry counts as 'Hobby Farm' (Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016) or 'Hobby Farming' (Rural Zoning Bylaw No. 137, 2017), permitted in RR-1 and RR-2 zones (and A-1, A-2 in the townsite). The Animal Control bylaw does not cover birds.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016, Townsite (PDF, consolidated May 2026), Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, s. 2 Definitions, Hobby Farm](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/56280/)
  - Official wording: "including gardening, food production, and keeping of poultry, livestock and horses."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016, Townsite (PDF, consolidated May 2026), Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, s. 6.6.2 (RR-2)](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/56280/)
  - Official wording: "j. Agriculture; k. Hobby Farm; l. Kennel."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016, Townsite (PDF, consolidated May 2026), Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, s. 6.5.2 (RR-1)](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/56280/)
  - Official wording: "The following Uses, and no others, are permitted in the RR-1 Zone."
  - Source: [Rural Zoning Bylaw No. 137, 2017 (PDF, consolidated December 2024), Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, s. 2 Hobby Farming; s. 9.1.2.1, 9.2.2.1](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/125394/)
  - Official wording: "gardening, the keeping of poultry, livestock and horses and" … "9.1 Rural Residential - Large Parcel (RR-1) Zone" … "(2) Hobby Farming;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Most hens:** None set. The zoning bylaws searched set no hen number, rooster rule, coop rules, permit or registration.
- **Roosters:** None set. The zoning bylaws searched set no hen number, rooster rule, coop rules, permit or registration.
- **Coop rules:** None set. The zoning bylaws searched set no hen number, rooster rule, coop rules, permit or registration.
- **Permit or registration:** None set. The zoning bylaws searched set no hen number, rooster rule, coop rules, permit or registration.
- **Bees:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read.
- **Other livestock:** Cattle (defined to include horse, mule, llama, swine, sheep, goat, cow) may not be kept inside the Animal Control boundary unless the Zoning Bylaw permits it. The Zoning Bylaw permits "Hobby Farm" (poultry, livestock and horses) in the RR-1, RR-2, A-1 and A-2 zones.
  - Source: [Animal Control, Pound and License Bylaw No. 09, 2009 (PDF, consolidated November 29, 2016), Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, s. 5.1, 10.6](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/9400/)
  - Official wording: "No cattle shall be permitted to be kept within the municipal boundaries" … "any livestock including horse, mule, llama, swine, sheep,"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016, Townsite (PDF, consolidated May 2026), Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, s. 2 Definitions, Hobby Farm](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/56280/)
  - Official wording: "including gardening, food production, and keeping of poultry, livestock and horses."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Animal Control, Pound and License Bylaw No. 09, 2009; Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016 (Townsite, consolidated May 2026); Rural Zoning Bylaw No. 137, 2017 (consolidated December 2024).
  - Source: [Animal Control, Pound and License Bylaw No. 09, 2009 (PDF, consolidated November 29, 2016), Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, cover](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/9400/)
  - Official wording: "Animal Control, Pound and License Bylaw No. 09, 2009"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016, Townsite (PDF, consolidated May 2026), Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, cover](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/56280/)
  - Official wording: "Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016" … "Consolidated May 2026 for ease of public use"
  - Source: [Rural Zoning Bylaw No. 137, 2017 (PDF, consolidated December 2024), Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, cover](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/125394/)
  - Official wording: "Rural Zoning Bylaw No. 137, 2017" … "Consolidated December, 2024 for ease of public use"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The [Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/56280/) (townsite) and the [Rural Zoning Bylaw No. 137, 2017](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/125394/) permit a "hobby farm" (poultry, livestock and horses) in the RR-1 and RR-2 zones, and in the townsite's A-1 and A-2 zones. The bylaws searched set no number of hens, no rule on roosters, no coop rules, no permit or registration, and say nothing about bees. The [Animal Control bylaw](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/9400/) defines "animal" as excluding birds, so it does not regulate hens.

## Steps

1. Find out which zone your lot is in (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Ask Regional Development and Planning whether poultry or bees are allowed on your lot, at 250.774.2541 option 8.
3. Get the answer in writing before buying birds.

## Good to know

- The bylaws searched do not say whether the townsite's residential zones allow hens.
- Cattle (including horses, mules, llamas, swine, sheep, goats and cows) may not be kept inside the Animal Control boundary unless the Zoning Bylaw permits it.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016, Townsite (PDF)](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/56280/)
- [Rural Zoning Bylaw No. 137, 2017 (PDF)](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/125394/)
- [Animal Control, Pound and License Bylaw No. 09, 2009 (PDF)](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/9400/)

## Related questions

- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Northern Rockies](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/northern-rockies/how-many-pets.md)
- [Northern Rockies zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/northern-rockies/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Northern Rockies dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/northern-rockies/dog-licence.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Stewart](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/stewart/backyard-chickens.md)
- [New Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Mackenzie](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mackenzie/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Fort St. John](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Chetwynd](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/backyard-chickens.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016, Townsite (PDF, consolidated May 2026), Northern Rockies Regional Municipality](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/56280/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Rural Zoning Bylaw No. 137, 2017 (PDF, consolidated December 2024), Northern Rockies Regional Municipality](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/125394/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Animal Control, Pound and License Bylaw No. 09, 2009 (PDF, consolidated November 29, 2016), Northern Rockies Regional Municipality](https://nr.civicweb.net/document/9400/) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 3 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 4 are recorded as not set; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Northern Rockies Regional Municipality. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/northern-rockies/backyard-chickens/_