Mariposa County, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

No beekeeping-specific ordinance was found in Mariposa County's Title 6 Animal Control code, so beekeeping in the unincorporated county is governed primarily by California's apiary laws administered locally by the Agricultural Commissioner. The county's Apiary Program page states that beekeepers are required to register with the County Agricultural Commissioner's Office where the bees are located or relocated to. Registration allows the county to alert beekeepers when a pesticide application toxic to bees is planned within a mile of their colonies, helping prevent bee-loss incidents. California's apiary registration requirement comes from the Food & Agricultural Code; under Section 29040 every person who keeps bees must register annually with the agricultural commissioner of the county where the bees are kept. Beekeepers must also identify their hives in accordance with Food & Agricultural Code Section 29046(a). The county specifies that hive identification must include the owner or responsible party's name, city and state, and phone number, with text in dark letters not less than one inch high on a contrasting background, displayed on the apiary entrance or stenciled on the hives. Because the county did not publish a numeric hive limit, hobbyist and commercial beekeepers alike should register and verify any zoning or nuisance considerations for their parcel.