Elk Grove, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- EGMC § 16.18.1136
- Water source
- Required on-site before bees arrive
- Bee box labeling
- Required if hives are on rented land
- Dispute process
- EGMC Chapter 14.07, Agricultural Disputes
- State law layer
- Cal. Food & Agricultural Code beekeeping rules
Summary
Elk Grove treats noncompliant beekeeping as a public nuisance rather than banning hives outright. Keepers must supply an on-site water source for the bees, follow zoning rules and any City-ordered mitigation from an agricultural dispute review, label rented bee boxes, and comply with state Food and Agricultural Code beekeeping rules.
§ 16.18.1136. Care of bees and beehives. It shall be unlawful and constitute a public nuisance for any person who keeps beehives on his, her, or its property not to comply with the following regulations: A. Failure to comply with any zoning requirements set forth in the Zoning Code or recommendations made by qualified experts retained by the City Manager in conjunction with an investigation conducted under the authority of EGMC Chapter 14.07, Agricultural Disputes. B. All properties on which beehives are kept must provide for adequate water sources on the property... Adequate water sources must be in place prior to bees or beehives being placed on a property to ensure that the bees primarily use the provided water source and do not seek out water sources on neighboring properties prior to the arrival of their own water source. C. Any time beehives are kept on a property that is not the property of the beekeepers, the bee boxes containing the hives must have the name, address and phone number for the beekeeper stenciled in black one-inch (1") letters on each bee box. D. Failure to comply with any provision of the California Food and Agricultural Code related to bees and/or beekeeping.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4937385; v2 updated 2026-05-13; through 05-13-2026).
Full Breakdown
1136 declares it unlawful and a public nuisance for anyone who keeps beehives to fail to comply with four sets of rules. 07, Agricultural Disputes, the same process used to referee farm-versus-neighbor conflicts along Elk Grove's agricultural southern edge. Second, every property with beehives must provide an adequate on-site water source, sized for the number of bees and hives and designed so bees can get a secure footing to drink, and that source must be in place before the bees or hives arrive so the colony does not go looking for water on a neighbor's property first.
Third, if the hives sit on land that does not belong to the beekeeper, each bee box must be stenciled in black one-inch letters with the beekeeper's name, address, and phone number, so the property owner, neighbors, and code enforcement can identify who is responsible. Fourth, keepers must also comply with the beekeeping provisions of the California Food and Agricultural Code, which the City incorporates by reference rather than restating. 07's agricultural dispute mediation process when the complaint concerns farm-adjacent bee activity.
Violations & Fines
A beekeeping complaint can trigger a Chapter 14.07 agricultural dispute investigation before any citation issues; the City Manager's retained experts may impose site-specific mitigation such as hive relocation or added water sources. Failure to comply with the water-source, labeling, or state Food and Agricultural Code requirements is enforced as a public nuisance under the standard Chapter 1.12 administrative citation process, with Council-set fines that escalate for repeat violations within 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is beekeeping legal in Elk Grove neighborhoods?
Why does the water source rule exist?
What happens if a neighbor complains about my hives?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elk Grove
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