Backyard ducks are welcome in Tualatin.
Since April 2026, Tualatin residents in low-density residential zones can keep ducks, chickens, pheasants, pigeons, quail, and partridges in their backyards with a city license, up to four birds. The rule change opened a new, distinctly local chapter of at-home homesteading near 22379 SW 107th Ave.
Tualatin has quietly become one of the more backyard-fowl-friendly cities in the Portland area. On March 23, 2026, the City Council voted 4-3 to amend the municipal and development codes so that residents can keep ducks and several other domestic fowl, expanding the city's existing backyard-chicken rules. The change took effect April 22, 2026.
The ordinance itself grew out of a very Tualatin story: a resident's Runner Ducks prompted a neighbor complaint in 2025, the issue went to the Council, and the Council ended up expanding, rather than restricting, what homeowners may keep. Here is a plain-English look at the new rules.
The Rules
What you can keep, and how.
Under the 2026 rules, homeowners in the Low-Density Residential (RL) planning district may apply for a license to keep up to four domestic fowl. Permitted species include ducks, chickens, pheasants, pigeons, quail, and partridges. Licenses are issued for five years and must be renewed, and the city notifies neighboring property owners when a license is approved, so the flock stays a good-neighbor affair.
The ordinances were adopted as Ordinance No. 1454-26 (a plan text amendment making domestic fowl a permitted use in the RL zone) and Ordinance No. 1455-26 (updating the municipal code on animal keeping). The city publishes the full license application packet online for anyone planning a coop.
City of Tualatin Domestic Fowl Page Why It Matters
A small rule with a big neighborhood feel.
For prospective homebuyers, a rule like this is a window into the community. Tualatin is a family-oriented suburb with room for urban homesteading, community gardens, farmers markets, and a working farm like Lee Farms still operating within city limits. The fowl ordinance reinforces that blend of suburban convenience and small-town character.
Buyers should still check their specific street before planning a flock: the rules apply in the Low-Density Residential district, so a home's zoning matters. If a backyard coop is on your wish list, it is worth confirming the property's zone and talking to the city about the license process before you close.
Live Local
Plenty of ways to grow your own.
Even if you never keep fowl, Tualatin makes it easy to eat close to home. The farmers market at the Lake of the Commons runs Friday evenings through late September, the Winona Grange Gathering Market carries the season into October, and the city's Put Down Roots Tualatin volunteer program gets neighbors planting native trees and shrubs together. The property at 22379 SW 107th Ave sits in a part of town where all of that is a short walk or drive away.
Your Turn to Nest
A home with room for your plans.
Whether your dream includes a coop, a garden, or just a big backyard for the kids, the right home makes it possible. The yard at 22379 SW 107th Ave is a landscaped outdoor retreat ready for whatever comes next. Paul Knighton of MORE Realty would be glad to walk you through it.
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