Permits for Chickens

Urban chickens are legal in Minneapolis. Legal, but regulated:

Those interested in keeping chickens in the city must apply for a permit and get approval from 80 percent of their neighbors within 100 feet of their property.

Just 120 people have the permits, although a chicken owner estimates that more than 1,000 people in Minneapolis raise chickens.

I can understand why most people don’t comply with the law (Title 4, Chapter 70). Getting those signatures must be a hassle, and then there’s the $30 fee you have to pay each year. It’s not an exorbitant amount, but for people raising chickens in hopes of saving money on a few eggs, it could mean the difference between profit and loss.

A better system would allow anyone to keep a few chickens, and require a permit only for a large number of poultry — as is the law in St. Louis.