Akron, OH Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

29, "Beekeeping," makes Akron a permit-first city for hobby apiaries. Subsection A bars placing or keeping a beehive anywhere in the city without first obtaining a permit from the Director of Neighborhood Assistance, and requires a nonrefundable $5 annual fee for each apiary to cover processing costs. Subsection B tells the Director when to grant that permit: the apiary must not constitute a nuisance, must not disturb the tranquility of the surrounding neighborhood, must not endanger public health, and must be placed and maintained in a manner the Director approves.

That approval comes with specific, measurable setbacks: the back of a beehive must sit at least 6 feet from any adjoining residential property or public road, the side at least 15 feet, and the front at least 25 feet, and the hive's entrance cannot face directly toward a neighbor's residence. A beekeeper also needs the written permission of the landowner before placing an apiary on land they do not own, and must keep a water supply with a backflow-prevention device and float valve within 10 feet of each hive so bees are not driven to a neighbor's pool or birdbath for water.

The ordinance was adopted by Ordinance 583-1991 and last touched by Ordinance 133-2022. Because the permit is discretionary, tied to the Director's nuisance and neighborhood-tranquility findings, a keeper who draws sustained complaints can have a permit denied on renewal even if the physical setbacks are met.