Bellingham, WA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

Bellingham incorporated a city-specific beekeeping section directly into BMC 7.12.060 (Keeping animals in the city). The rules are: (1) HIVE SECURITY - hives or colonies must be kept in a manner in which they are inaccessible to the general public, AND bee movements to and from the hive must not interfere with the ordinary movements of persons on adjacent properties or the public right-of-way. (2) SETBACK - no person shall locate a beehive within 25 feet of any property line EXCEPT (a) when the hive is situated 8 feet or more above the grade immediately adjacent to the subject lot, OR (b) when the hive is situated less than 8 feet above grade and behind a SOLID fence or hedge AT LEAST 6 feet in height that runs parallel to the property line and extends AT LEAST 20 feet beyond the hive in both directions. The fence/hedge functions as a 'flyway barrier' that forces foragers to gain altitude before crossing into the neighbor's yard. (3) STATE REGISTRATION - all colonies must be registered with the Director of the Department of Agriculture of the State of Washington as provided in RCW 15.60.021. The Washington apiary registration program is administered by WSDA Plant Protection Division and requires every person owning one or more hives to register annually by APRIL 1 (the statutory deadline in RCW 15.60.021); the registration fee is modest (currently in the $5-$15 range depending on hive count). WSDA registration enables the State Apiarist to coordinate Africanized honey bee surveillance and notify beekeepers of pesticide applications and disease outbreaks. (4) NUISANCE BACKSTOP - BMC 7.12.060's general sanitation requirement also applies to apiaries; an apiary that creates a sanitation nuisance or whose foragers swarm onto adjacent properties may be cited regardless of setback compliance. Local resource: the Mt. Baker Beekeepers Association (covering Whatcom and Skagit counties) hosts the regional beekeeping community and runs an apprentice-level course in Bellingham. Whatcom County Extension also offers WSU Master Beekeeper Program training. Bellingham's beekeeping section is one of the more progressive urban-bee ordinances in Washington, explicitly authorizing roof-mounted hives with the height-based setback exemption.