Anaheim, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- General rule
- All beehives banned citywide
- Exception zones
- T, RH-1, Anaheim Canyon SP 2015-01
- Permit required
- Conditional Use Permit under Title 18
- Governing chapter
- AMC Chapter 6.28
- Last amended
- Ord. 6358, February 9, 2016
Summary
Keeping honey bee hives anywhere in Anaheim's corporate limits is unlawful under Municipal Code Chapter 6.28. The only path around the ban is a Conditional Use Permit on land zoned Transition (T), Single-Family Hillside Residential (RH-1), or the Anaheim Canyon Specific Plan No. 2015-01 zone.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to keep or suffer to be kept or maintained within the corporate limits of the City of Anaheim any hive or hives, swarm or swarms of honey bees; provided, however, that this prohibition shall not apply to any property which is zoned "T" Transition Zone, "RH-1" Single-Family Hillside Residential, or the Anaheim Canyon Specific Plan No. 2015-01 (SP 2015-01) Zone and for which a Conditional Use Permit has been approved for beekeeping pursuant to Title 18 of this code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-28: Code: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 6627, passed 8-11-2026 | Zoning: Local legislation current through Ord. 6627, passed 8-11-2026).
Full Breakdown
010 makes it unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to keep, suffer to be kept, or maintain any hive or hives, or swarm or swarms, of honey bees within the corporate limits of the City of Anaheim. The prohibition is citywide and applies regardless of lot size or zoning, with one narrow carve-out: it does not apply to property zoned 'T' Transition Zone, 'RH-1' Single-Family Hillside Residential, or the Anaheim Canyon Specific Plan No. 2015-01 (SP 2015-01) Zone, and even on those parcels a beekeeper must first obtain a Conditional Use Permit under Title 18 of the code.
The ordinance traces back to Ord. 847 and was amended most recently by Ord. 6358 in February 2016, which added the Anaheim Canyon Specific Plan exception to the older T and RH-1 zone carve-outs. Outside those three zone categories and without an approved CUP, hobbyist or backyard hives anywhere else in the city, including standard single-family residential, multi-family, and commercial zones, are flatly prohibited rather than merely restricted by setback or hive-count limits the way some neighboring cities regulate apiaries.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 6.28 does not carry its own penalty section, so a violation is enforced as a general Anaheim Municipal Code violation under Section 1.01.370, which makes any code violation a misdemeanor unless another section specifies otherwise; Community Preservation or Animal Control can order hive removal and cite the property owner or keeper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a backyard beehive in Anaheim?
Do I still need a permit if my property is in RH-1 or the Canyon Specific Plan zone?
Does the beekeeping ban apply to a single hive or just commercial apiaries?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anaheim
California rules heatmap·Compare Anaheim to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Beekeeping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle beekeeping.