Cambridge, MA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required from
- Cambridge Public Health Department
- Max free-standing hive volume
- 20 cubic feet
- Max hive/apiary height
- 6 feet from grade
- Signage trigger
- Within 10 ft of street, park, school, walkway
- Zoning penalty
- Up to $300 per day (Sec. 9.16)
- Use classification
- Accessory use under Article 4.000
Summary
Cambridge allows backyard beekeeping as a zoning accessory use, but keepers need a Cambridge Public Health Department permit, hives are capped at 20 cubic feet and 6 feet tall, and hives near streets, schools or shared porches need posted warning signs.
Beekeeping is allowed as an accessory use pursuant to Article 4.000 of this Zoning Ordinance, according to the standards herein. A permit must be obtained from the Cambridge Public Health Department for all keeping of bee colonies, and permit-holders must be in compliance with all local public health regulations and state public health laws pertaining to beekeeping. A free-standing beehive shall be no greater than twenty (20) cubic feet in volume... The maximum height of a beehive or apiary shall be six (6) feet from grade, or from an elevated surface if located atop such a surface. Where any beehive is located within ten (10) feet of a public street, park, school grounds, walkway, or bikeway, a sign legible from the public way indicating that a beehive is present nearby shall be maintained so that it is readable from the public way.
Full Breakdown
41(b) requires a permit from the Cambridge Public Health Department for keeping any bee colony, with permit-holders bound by all local and state public health law on beekeeping. 42(a) caps a free-standing beehive at 20 cubic feet in volume; a hive attached to or built into a building may be larger overall, but no more than 20 cubic feet of it may project beyond the building's principal wall plane. 42(b) limits beehive or apiary height to 6 feet from grade, or from the elevated surface it sits on, though that cap does not apply to fences or structures separating the hive from neighboring uses, which follow other zoning yard rules. 43(b) requires posted signage at the entrance to any shared porch, balcony, or rooftop that holds a hive. 32).
Violations & Fines
Beekeeping is subject to the Zoning Ordinance's general enforcement under Article 9.000: Section 9.12 bars the Superintendent of Buildings from permitting a use that violates the Ordinance, and Section 9.16 sets fines up to $300 per offense (criminal) or per violation (noncriminal, under G.L. c. 40 § 21D), with each day of continued violation a separate offense; a keeper who is out of compliance with public health rules under Section 23.41(b) is separately answerable to the Cambridge Public Health Department, which issues the underlying permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to keep bees in Cambridge?
How big can a beehive be in Cambridge?
Is there a height limit on beehives?
When does a beehive need a warning sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cambridge
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Beekeeping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle beekeeping.