Auburn, WA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

220(F) defines beekeeping as the keeping of honey bees, Apis mellifera, in apiaries, and allows it only as an accessory use to a single-unit detached dwelling residence. State registration is not optional: 'all hives are registered with the State Department of Agriculture,' making the local zoning permission contingent on compliance with Washington's separate apiary registration program. 220: no more than two hives, each housing only one swarm, on lots smaller than 10,000 square feet. Placement is restricted for neighbor protection, hives must sit at least 25 feet from any property line, and the hive entrances must face away from the nearest property line, directing bee traffic inward rather than toward an adjoining yard.

020 governing nuisances affecting public health and safety, though beekeeping is not cross-referenced to the slaughtering provision that applies to fowl and other livestock. 220 states that the specified minimum lot size and setback requirements are absolute, the city has no discretion to grant a variance, waiver or modification for a beekeeper who wants more hives or a shorter buffer, regardless of lot size beyond the base threshold.