Alameda, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

We could not find any beekeeping, apiary, or honeybee provision in the City of Alameda Municipal Code. Chapter VII (Animal Control) regulates dogs, cats, chickens and fowl, cows, horses, swine, dangerous animals, and exotic pets, but does not mention bees, hives, or apiaries, and bees are not among the City's licensed or restricted animals. Because there is no city-specific rule, beekeeping in Alameda is governed by state law. The California Apiary Protection Act (Food & Agricultural Code Division 13, Sections 29000-29322) requires every person who owns or possesses an apiary in California to register it annually with the County Agricultural Commissioner by January 1 under Section 29040; registration is now handled statewide through the BeeWhere program. This requirement applies to all beekeepers, including a single backyard hive, regardless of purpose. Keepers should also be mindful of Alameda's general nuisance principles (for example, the public nuisance standard echoed in Section 7-4.3 for animal-keeping) and any applicable zoning rules, but Chapter VII imposes no hive count, setback, or permit specific to bees. Note: this reflects Chapter VII; beekeepers should confirm there is no separate provision elsewhere in the City Code or zoning ordinance before keeping hives.