Cupertino has no beekeeping-specific ordinance; hives are treated as an accessory residential use that must not create a nuisance, and California requires all hives be registered with the county agricultural commissioner.
Cupertino's municipal code does not contain a dedicated beekeeping or apiary chapter with hive counts or setback distances. Backyard beekeeping is generally allowed as an accessory activity in residential zones provided it creates no public nuisance under the City's general nuisance and animal-nuisance provisions. Statewide, California Food and Agricultural Code section 29040 requires every beekeeper to register the location of their apiary annually with the county agricultural commissioner, and Santa Clara County administers hive registration through the BeeWhere/CDFA program. Beekeepers should site hives away from property lines and walkways, provide a water source to reduce foraging on neighbors' property, and manage colonies to avoid swarming. Confirm current placement standards with Cupertino's Community Development Department before installing hives.
An apiary that becomes a nuisance, or an unregistered apiary, can trigger abatement and state penalties; failure to register with the county agricultural commissioner violates state law.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Under California's SB 1383, Cupertino residents and businesses must keep food scraps and yard trimmings out of the trash and use Recology South Bay's organic...
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Artificial turf is not counted as drought-tolerant landscaping in California, and under SB 676 (Government Code 53087.7) cities like Cupertino may regulate s...
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Cupertino's Water-Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 14.15) implements California's MWELO and caps turf at 25% of landscape area, favoring...
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Cupertino places no ban on residential rainwater harvesting and actively encourages on-site rainwater and graywater capture in its Water-Efficient Landscape ...
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Cupertino has permanent water-waste prohibitions under Municipal Code Chapter 15.32, banning runoff, hosing pavement, and un-nozzled hoses. Water is supplied...
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Cupertino declares overgrown weeds and dry brush a fire nuisance under Municipal Code Chapter 9.08, enforced through a Santa Clara County weed abatement prog...
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