ME LD1655

Counties and municipalities are prohibited from adopting regulations or ordinances that ban residents from keeping chickens on their residential property

"Chicken" is defined as a female domesticated bird raised for meat or eggs; roosters (fully mature male chickens) are explicitly excluded from this protection

Municipal home rule authority is preserved and not limited by this law, allowing municipalities to regulate other aspects of chicken-keeping such as number limits, coop requirements, or setbacks

Enacted as Public Law Chapter 174, approved by the Governor on May 30, 2025