Santa Clara County allows backyard beekeeping in most zones with setback and hive-count limits. Registration with the County Agricultural Commissioner is required under state law, and flyway barriers are typical.
Backyard beekeeping is permitted in unincorporated Santa Clara County under the Zoning Ordinance, with reasonable management rules. In suburban residential zones, a typical parcel may have 2 to 4 hives, with hives set back at least 10 feet from property lines and 25 feet from neighbor dwellings; a 6-foot flyway barrier (fence or dense hedge) is required between the hive and any line the bees cross below that height to encourage upward flight. Larger lots in Rural Residential and Agricultural zones allow more hives proportional to parcel size. All apiaries with managed honey bees must be registered with the Santa Clara County Agricultural Commissioner under California Food and Agricultural Code section 29040, and the registration must be renewed annually. Water sources on-site are recommended to reduce bees seeking water at neighbor pools. Africanized honey bee colonies, if identified, must be removed. HOAs may prohibit beekeeping as a private matter.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
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