Orange County, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Site Development Permit (SDP)
- Zones where allowed
- A1 Agriculture, OS Open Space
- Zones where barred
- B1, R/OSP districts
- Decision-maker
- Director, OC Development Services
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $2,500 fine, 6 months jail
- Civil penalty
- Up to $2,500 per day
- Geographic scope
- Unincorporated Orange County only
Summary
In unincorporated Orange County, keeping bees is classified as an agricultural use that needs a Site Development Permit. Apiaries are allowed only in the A1 Agriculture and OS Open Space zoning districts; they are barred outright in the B1 and R/OSP districts under Table 7-9-30.2 of the Zoning Code.
(b)"SDP" designates uses that are principal permitted uses subject to the approval of a Site Development Permit... (e)"—" designates uses that are not permitted... A1 B1 OS R/OSP Additional Regulations ... AGRICULTURAL AND EXTRACTIVE ... Apiaries SDP - SDP - Per section 7-9-135
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 157).
Full Breakdown
Orange County's Comprehensive Zoning Code treats an apiary, defined at Sec. 7-9-135 as "a place or structure in which bees and beehives are kept and maintained, usually for the purpose of harvesting the honey they produce," as an agricultural land use governed by the Agriculture and Open Space Districts regulations at Sec. 2. 2 lists Apiaries under the AGRICULTURAL AND EXTRACTIVE category with four zone columns: A1, B1, OS, and R/OSP. The table marks Apiaries "SDP" in the A1 and OS columns and a dash in the B1 and R/OSP columns, meaning a Site Development Permit is required to keep bees on A1-zoned agricultural land or OS-zoned open space land, while the use is not permitted at all on land zoned B1 or R/OSP.
Per Sec. " Sec. 1 explains that a Site Development Permit is meant for uses regarded as having "a relatively low potential for adverse impacts on the subject site or surrounding community" and, unless the property sits in a planned community or specific plan requiring a public hearing, is a discretionary permit decided administratively by the Director rather than at a Planning Commission hearing. An SDP application must include a detailed development plan and comply with OC Development Services' filing instructions, which are subject to change.
This rule reaches only the unincorporated pockets of the county; the 34 incorporated cities, including Anaheim, Irvine, Santa Ana and Huntington Beach, regulate beekeeping under their own municipal codes, not this one.
Violations & Fines
Keeping bees on A1 or OS land without an approved Site Development Permit, or keeping bees at all in a B1 or R/OSP zone, is a violation of the Zoning Code. Under Sec. 7-9-130.3, any Zoning Code violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,500, up to six months in county jail, or both, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense. The unpermitted use is also declared a public nuisance, exposing the property to a civil penalty of up to $2,500 per day and county abatement action, with abatement costs billable to the owner or levied as a special assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep bees on my property in unincorporated Orange County?
Who approves an apiary Site Development Permit?
What happens if I keep bees without the permit?
Does this rule apply to Anaheim or Irvine backyard beekeepers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Orange County
California rules heatmap·Compare Orange County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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