Cowlitz County, WA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitted in
- AG-I district, § 18.10.241(B)(1)
- Also permitted in
- AG-38, § 18.10.251(B)(1)
- AG district
- covered generally under § 18.10.245(B)
- Not listed in
- RR-1, RR-2, RR-5, SR, UR districts
- Civil penalty
- $1,000 per violation, § 2.06.080
Summary
Beekeeping is a permitted agricultural activity in unincorporated Cowlitz County, but only within the county's agricultural zoning districts. Cowlitz County Code § 18.10.241 lists apiaries among the agricultural activities permitted outright in the Agriculture-Industrial (AG-I) district, and the county's separate AG-38 district carries the identical apiary listing under § 18.10.251.
Permitted Uses. The following uses and structures are permitted in the AG-I zone district: 1. Agricultural activities: farms, dairies, pastures, apiaries, horticulture, floriculture, animal and poultry husbandry, slaughterhouses, cultivation, management and harvest of any forest crop and private stables;
Full Breakdown
251(B)(1) does the same for the AG-38 district, which adds commercial feedlots to the same clause. 245(B), which permits 'agricultural uses including the raising of livestock and accessory buildings and uses' without listing individual activities by name. 70A) with a mix of designated agricultural districts, general rural districts (RR-1, RR-2, RR-5) and a large Unzoned (U) area, whether a hive placement counts as a permitted agricultural use depends on which district covers the parcel; the code does not list apiaries as a named permitted use in the RR-1, RR-2, RR-5, SR or UR residential districts. 501.
Violations & Fines
Placing a commercial apiary or associated buildings on land outside the districts where agricultural activities are permitted, or without meeting the district's general development standards, is a Land Use Ordinance violation under Chapter 18.10 CCC. CCC § 2.06.040 makes such a violation a civil infraction, with a $1,000 penalty per violation under § 2.06.080 that doubles for a second violation of the same ordinance within three years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep bees on rural residential (RR) zoned land in Cowlitz County?
Do I need a permit for a small apiary in an agricultural district?
What agricultural activities does the AG-38 district allow besides beekeeping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cowlitz County
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