Farmington Hills, MI Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

Farmington Hills does not have an explicit beekeeping ordinance, which means beekeepers must navigate three layers. (1) ZONING LAYER - Chapter 34 (Zoning) does not list beekeeping or apiary use as a permitted or specifically regulated accessory use in standard R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, RC, or RA-1 residential districts. Where an accessory use is not specifically permitted, the zoning interpretation is generally that it is not allowed without a specific determination. Beekeepers should request a written zoning determination from the Farmington Hills Planning Department (248-871-2500) before installing hives, particularly on subdivision lots smaller than one acre. (2) NUISANCE LAYER - Chapter 17 (Nuisances) of the Farmington Hills Code prohibits maintenance of a nuisance condition that injures or interferes with the comfort, repose, health, or safety of persons. Aggressive hives, swarming, frequent stings to neighbors, or unsanitary conditions can be cited as nuisance violations regardless of whether beekeeping itself is expressly permitted. (3) STATE LAYER - The Michigan Bees Act (MCL 286.811 - 286.825), Act 412 of 1976, requires every owner of bees or beekeeping equipment in Michigan to register annually with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Pesticide & Plant Pest Management Division. Registration must include the location of every apiary owned by the registrant. Registration enables MDARD to conduct American Foulbrood and small hive beetle inspections, notify the registrant of pesticide applications nearby, and coordinate disease control. The MDARD registration fee is nominal. (4) RIGHT TO FARM ACT - Michigan's Right to Farm Act (MCL 286.471 et seq.) provides protection from local regulation for commercial farms that comply with Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs), but the Right to Farm Act does NOT shield small residential apiaries that lack commercial intent, and it does NOT override local zoning for new apiaries established after the Act's grandfather dates. Farmington Hills' suburban character means residential lots typically lack the buffer distances recommended by MDARD's GAAMPs for apiaries (typically 25-50 feet from property lines and elevated flyway barriers to direct bees up and over neighbors). HOAs and subdivision deed restrictions in many Farmington Hills neighborhoods restrict outdoor structures of any kind, which may indirectly preclude hives. Best practices for Farmington Hills beekeepers: (a) request written zoning determination; (b) review HOA / deed restrictions; (c) register annually with MDARD; (d) maintain hives 25+ feet from property lines with elevated flyway barriers; (e) provide on-site water to reduce bees foraging on neighbor pools; (f) keep no more than 2 hives on a typical residential lot to limit nuisance complaints.