Del Norte County, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

We reviewed Del Norte County Code Title 8 (the 2019 Revised Animal Control Ordinance) and found no provision regulating bees or beekeeping. Title 8, Chapter 2 lists the pets it covers (dog, cat, guinea pig, hamster, pot-bellied pig, birds, lizard, snake, turtle, tortoise) and Chapter 3 covers livestock (bovines, goats, pigs, sheep, poultry); bees are not addressed by the animal ordinance. As a result, beekeeping in the unincorporated county is governed by land-use/zoning rather than the animal code, so confirm whether your parcel's zoning district permits apiaries with Del Norte County Planning. Statewide, California law requires beekeepers to register their apiaries annually with the County Agricultural Commissioner (California Food and Agricultural Code Section 29040 et seq.); in Del Norte County the Agricultural Commissioner's office handles apiary registration and also serves as the Director of Animal Control. We found no county ordinance setting a maximum number of hives, minimum lot size for beekeeping, or hive setback distance in the unincorporated county. Because this is a small rural coastal county, hobby and small-scale beekeeping is common, but always verify your zoning and complete state apiary registration before placing hives.