Chino Hills, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- CHMC § 6.16.010(D), Specific Animals Prohibited
- Minimum parcel size
- 10 acres to legally keep bees
- Hive setback
- 500 feet from any residence
- County chapter also applies
- SB County Code Ch. 9, Apiaries (§§32.0901-32.0917)
- Non-compliant bees
- Must be relocated outside city limits
Summary
Chino Hills effectively bars beekeeping on ordinary residential lots. CHMC § 6.16.010(D) prohibits intentionally maintaining bees on any property smaller than ten acres, and even on larger parcels the hives must sit at least 500 feet from any residence, a distance almost no residential yard can meet.
D.Bees. It is also prohibited to intentionally maintain bees on any property within the City which is less than ten (10) acres. Such bees shall be maintained at least five hundred (500) feet from any residence.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
16, Prohibited Animals and Conduct, singles out bees among the animals the city restricts. It is prohibited to intentionally maintain bees on any property within the city that is less than ten acres, and any bees that are kept, even on a qualifying parcel of ten acres or more, must be maintained at least five hundred feet from any residence. Because Chino Hills is built out with standard single-family lots well under an acre, the ten-acre threshold and the 500-foot residence setback together function as a near-total ban on hobbyist or backyard beekeeping anywhere in the city's residential neighborhoods; only the largest estate-sized or agriculturally zoned parcels can clear both tests. 0917, which remains in full force for any apiary use. 010(D) limits and the adopted county apiary chapter.
Violations & Fines
Maintaining bees on a property under ten acres, or closer than 500 feet to any residence, violates Section 6.16.010(D). Under subsection G, the city can require the owner to relocate the bees outside city limits or report an intended disposition to the Enforcing Officer, and under subsection H, giving false information about that relocation or disposition is a separate infraction under Chapter 1.36.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a beehive in my backyard in Chino Hills?
Is there any lot in Chino Hills where beekeeping is legal?
Does county law add anything to the city's bee rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino Hills
California rules heatmap·Compare Chino Hills to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Beekeeping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle beekeeping.