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San Francisco County Beekeeping Regulations

Local beekeeping rules for San Francisco County and 2 cities: setback distances, hive limits, registration, and a link to each current municipal code.

Read this first. This is a convenience summary compiled from public municipal codes as of 2020. Rules change — this is not legal advice. Always confirm with your city or county and the official code before keeping bees.
Statewide, California requires apiary registration with your county agricultural commissioner (register at BeeWhere: https://beewhere.calagpermits.org/). Local city/county rules below are in addition to state law.

San Francisco

county

Must not constitue a nuisance

Last verified: 2020 — confirm at the source.
Check the current regulation → Check the current regulation →

* Nusiances The San Francisco Beekeepers Association and its members follow responsible and respectful beekeeping practices. Our mission is to promote honeybee health and compatibility in a crowded urban environment. If any hive is determined to become a public nuisance by the city Agricultural Commissioner or other qualified City official, the San Francisco Beekeepers Association will work with individual beekeepers and public agencies to address and help resolve or abate the particular situation. Examples of how the SFBA can aid in maintaining safe and healthy neighborhoods for people and bees in the city include removing abandoned or unidentified hives on public or private property, requeening and or moving aggressive hives, capture and relocate swarms and address complaints by neighbors about specific problems with nearby hives.

city
Last verified: 2020 — confirm at the source.

San Francisco

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2
hive limit

San Francisco (City) currently allows urban beekeeping without any specific permit or registration requirements. Section 581 of the San Francisco Health Code states, no person shall have upon any premises or real property owned, occupied or controlled by him or her any public nuisance except for harborage of honey-producing bees regulated by the CA Ag Code Sec 29000 et seq. which are determined not to be a nuisance under State law

Code: Sec. 581 Nuisance; San Francisco Beekeepers Association BMPs upheld by officials · * See note
Last verified: 2020 — confirm at the source.
⚠ 2020 link dead — search current regulation →
Compiled from public municipal codes, originally referenced by the California Master Beekeeper Program (2020) and re-presented for easier lookup. Verify every rule against the linked official code before keeping bees. Not legal advice.

Other counties: Alameda · Alpine · Amador · Butte · Calaveras · Colusa · Contra Costa · Del Norte · see all 58 →