Arcadia, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Rule
- No bees in or upon any premises
- Permit route printed
- None in Section 4137.4
- Hive limit printed
- None in Section 4137.4
- Penalty source
- Section 1200, misdemeanor or infraction
- Infraction fine
- Up to $100 for a first violation
Summary
In the City of Arcadia, California, Section 4137.4 of the Municipal Code states that no person shall keep any bees in or upon any premises. The section prints no permit route, hive count, setback or exception, and violations fall under the code-wide misdemeanor or infraction penalty in Section 1200.
Every act prohibited, declared unlawful, or declared substandard, and every failure to perform an act made mandatory, shall be a misdemeanor or an infraction, at the discretion of the city attorney. ... No person shall keep any bees in or upon any premises.
Full Breakdown
Section 4137.4 of the Arcadia Municipal Code is one sentence: no person shall keep any bees in or upon any premises. The word premises is not limited to a listed set of zones, and the section prints no permit route, hive count, setback distance or exception for hobby or commercial apiaries. Compare Sections 4126.2 and 4142.2, where the code names a kennel permit the Council can grant, and Section 4137.4 names no such permit.
The section sits in Division 7 of Part 3 of Chapter 1 of Article IV, headed Keeping, Feeding and Running at Large. Two other flat bans appear beside it. Section 4137.5 forbids keeping any hog, swine, boar, pig or shoat anywhere within the City, and Section 4137.6 forbids keeping any wild animal in or upon any premises. Section 4137 separately bars feeding any animal or fowl on a public street, sidewalk or parkway.
Division 9 of the same Part contains a general nuisance procedure for birds and animals, which is a separate tool from Section 4137.4. Section 4139.1 declares that keeping birds or animals is permissive and at all times subject to the continuing regulation and control by the City. Sections 4139.2 through 4139.5 let the Chief of Police investigate a complaint from three or more persons, notify the keeper, hold a public hearing and, if findings are ignored, abate the nuisance. Those sections speak of birds and animals, not bees, so this page relies on the flat wording of Section 4137.4 for the bee rule.
Section 4137.4 carries no penalty clause of its own. Section 1200 supplies one for every provision of the Code, and the city attorney chooses between a misdemeanor and an infraction charge. Anyone wanting to keep bees on a lot in the City has no permit path printed in this section to point to.
Violations & Fines
Section 1200 applies. A violation is a misdemeanor or an infraction at the discretion of the city attorney. A misdemeanor conviction carries a fine of not more than $1,000, imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both. An infraction carries a fine not exceeding $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second within one year and $500 for a third or later within one year. Each day, or portion of a day, is a separate offense, and Section 1200(d) declares any violation a public nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a beehive in my backyard in Arcadia?
Does the bee ban cover only residential lots?
What is the penalty for keeping bees?
Are other animals banned beside bees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arcadia
California rules heatmap·Compare Arcadia to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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How other cities in Los Angeles County handle beekeeping.