Beekeeping is well-established in agricultural Merced County. Under the Unified Development Ordinance, a Commercial Apiary (bees) is an allowed use in agricultural zones with an Administrative Permit. All beekeepers in California must register their apiaries annually with the County Agricultural Commissioner under Food & Agricultural Code Section 29040.
Merced County's Unified Development Ordinance lists 'Commercial Apiary (bees)' as a use allowed in the agricultural zones (A-1, A-1-40, A-2) with an Administrative Permit under Chapter 18.114 (Table 2-1). No standalone County Code chapter setting hive counts or residential apiary setbacks was located in the sources fetched for this summary, so siting in residential zones should be confirmed directly with Merced County Community and Economic Development. Statewide, every person who owns or possesses an apiary in California must register the number of colonies and the location of each apiary with the local County Agricultural Commissioner by January 1 each year (or within 30 days thereafter) under California Food & Agricultural Code Section 29040 — this applies to hobbyists and commercial keepers alike, regardless of the number of colonies. Registration helps the Agricultural Commissioner track bee diseases, coordinate Varroa mite and Africanized bee response, and notify beekeepers before nearby pesticide applications. Contact the Merced County Agricultural Commissioner's office to register hives.
Failure to register an apiary with the County Agricultural Commissioner violates state law (Food & Ag Code § 29040). Operating a commercial apiary in an agricultural zone without the required Administrative Permit can prompt zoning code enforcement by Merced County Community and Economic Development.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Merced County does not have its own curb-color ordinance; painted curbs in the unincorporated county follow California Vehicle Code Section 21458. Red means ...
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Merced County's Unified Development Ordinance requires off-street loading for commercial, mixed-use, and industrial uses. Under Section 18.38.210, such facil...
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Merced County restricts hazardous fence materials by zone. Barbed wire, electric fence, and razor wire are allowed only in agricultural and industrial zones;...
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Beyond height, Merced County's Chapter 18.34 sets sight-distance, corner-lot, and design requirements. Fences over 7 feet need a building permit, sight-trian...
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Merced County's zoning code exempts retaining walls less than 3 feet above finished grade from setback requirements. Separately, the California Building Code...
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Under California SB 1383, Merced County now requires residents and businesses in unincorporated areas to separate organic waste (food scraps, yard trimmings)...
See how Merced County's beekeeping rules stack up against other locations.
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