Brooklyn Park, MN Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration
- Required for any hive, § 92.52
- Half-acre lot cap
- 2 colonies
- 1-5 acre lot cap
- 8 colonies
- Over 5 acres
- No limit, no registration needed
- Flyway barrier
- 6 ft, required within 25 ft of lot line
Summary
City Code § 92.52 requires anyone keeping honeybee hives in Brooklyn Park to hold an approved registration, and § 92.54 caps colonies by lot size, from two colonies on a half-acre lot up to unlimited colonies and no registration on lots over five acres.
No person shall keep, harbor, maintain or allow to be kept any hive or other facility for the housing of honeybees on or in any property in the city without an approved registration unless otherwise exempted by §§ 92.54(A)(5) and 92.56(B). ... Every lot or parcel of land in the city shall be limited to the following number of colonies based on the size of the apiary lot: (1) One-half acre or smaller is allowed two colonies; (2) More than one-half acre to three-quarters of an acre is allowed four colonies; (3) More than three-quarters of an acre to one acre is allowed six colonies; (4) More than one acre to five acres is allowed eight colonies; (5) More than five acres, there is no restriction on the number of colonies and no registration is required.
Full Breakdown
56(B). 54(A): a half-acre lot or smaller is allowed two colonies, more than a half-acre up to three-quarters of an acre allows four, more than three-quarters up to one acre allows six, more than one acre up to five acres allows eight, and lots over five acres face no colony limit and need no registration at all. 53 keep hives out of front yards and at least ten feet from rear or side property lines, 20 feet from public rights-of-way, and ten feet from any adjacent dwelling unit; any hive within 25 feet of a lot line needs a flyway barrier at least six feet tall built of wall, fence or dense vegetation, unless the hive sits on a rooftop, which is exempt from the barrier requirement.
55 adds operating standards: hives must use removable frames, each colony needs a water source within ten feet, and hive byproducts like wax comb must be sealed or enclosed to avoid attracting robbing bees. A beekeeper who temporarily houses a swarm removed from an unwanted location is not in violation of the density cap if the bees stay at a registered beekeeper's site for no more than 30 days.
Violations & Fines
Keeping hives without an approved registration under § 92.52, exceeding the § 92.54 colony density cap for the lot size, or placing a hive without the required setback or flyway barrier under § 92.53, is a code violation enforceable under the chapter's general penalty at § 10.99.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Brooklyn Park beekeepers need a permit?
How many beehives can a Brooklyn Park property have?
How close to the property line can a beehive be in Brooklyn Park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brooklyn Park
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Beekeeping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Hennepin County handle beekeeping.