How we verify every ordinance
Every value on CoopCodes comes from a primary source — the city's own municipal code or an official city publication. Each page quotes the exact code language, links the source, and shows the date we last verified it. When we can't verify something against an official source, we say the rules are unclear rather than guess.
The rules we follow
1. Primary sources only
We read the actual municipal code: the city's official code library (Municode, eCode360, American Legal, or the city's own site), official city FAQs, and adopted ordinance documents. We do not source from blogs, forums, or third-party "chicken law" roundups — we've found too many of them wrong, outdated, or invented.
2. Every claim is quoted and cited
Each city page shows the code section number, a link to the official source, and the exact quoted language our answer rests on. You never have to take our word for it — the receipt is on the page.
3. We refuse to publish rather than guess
A wrong "yes, chickens are allowed" could tell someone an illegal act is legal. So every extracted value carries a confidence score, and values that don't clear our threshold with an official source don't get published. If a city's code is genuinely silent or ambiguous, the page says so and recommends contacting the city's planning department.
4. Research is reviewed before it goes live
Extraction and verification are performed by automated research agents working from the rules above; nothing they produce publishes itself. Every change lands as a proposal with its sources attached, passes validation, and is applied through a review step that preserves a full audit trail — every published value traces back to who changed it, when, and on what source.
5. Freshness is tracked, not assumed
Every page displays a "last verified" date. A weekly review cycle re-checks the longest-unverified cities, watches for newly passed or amended ordinances, and puts user-reported errors at the front of the queue. Ordinances change in waves — egg-price spikes, avian-flu outbreaks, and state preemption bills all trigger amendments — and we re-verify affected areas when they do.
6. You can correct us
Every city page has a "see something wrong?" link. Locals know their rules, and reported pages are re-verified within days. If we were wrong, we fix the page and re-stamp it.
What we are not
CoopCodes is an informational resource, not legal advice. Ordinances change, and local rules — including HOA covenants, which can be stricter than city code — vary. Always confirm current requirements with your city or county before getting chickens.