Ventura County, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

Beekeeping in the unincorporated County is regulated as an accessory use by the County Planning Division under Section 8107-2.6 (Apiculture) of the Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance, with backyard beekeeping addressed in Section 8107-2.6.2. A backyard apiary is the keeping of a limited number of hives accessory to a single-family dwelling for personal use; generally up to four (4) colonies are allowed on a lot of 10,000 square feet or more. The ordinance also requires that an occupied apiary be located or maintained a safe distance from an 'urbanized area' (an area containing three or more dwelling units per acre), along with other standards intended to reduce conflicts with neighbors. Apiaries in California are also subject to the State Food & Agricultural Code, which requires beekeepers to register hives with the County Agricultural Commissioner; the term 'apiary' includes bees, comb, hives, appliances, or colonies as defined by state law. Ventura County advises contacting the County Apiary Inspector (Agricultural Commissioner's office) at 805-388-4222 before setting up hives, because additional siting, water-source, and notification requirements can apply and enforcement of apiary placement is handled by the Agricultural Commissioner. Larger or commercial apiculture operations are treated differently from accessory backyard beekeeping and may require additional zoning approval.