Santa Cruz County, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, whether you can keep honeybees depends on the parcel's zoning district under County Code Chapter 13.10 (Zoning Regulations), as summarized by the County Animal Shelter's local-animal-laws page. According to that summary, bees are not permitted in single-family residential or multiple-residential zones. In agricultural-residential zoning, bees (apiculture) are permitted with a level 5 (discretionary) permit, reflecting the County's treatment of apiculture as an agricultural pursuit. Rural and agricultural districts are the zones where beekeeping is contemplated, again subject to the applicable zoning standards and any required permit. The County's animal-control title (Title 6) does not separately regulate honeybees, so the zoning code is the operative authority. Because the rules turn on the specific zone and may require a discretionary permit, a prospective beekeeper should confirm the parcel's zoning designation and the apiculture standards directly with Santa Cruz County Planning before placing hives. Beyond local zoning, California's state apiary program (administered by the County Agricultural Commissioner under the Food and Agricultural Code) requires registration of apiaries, but that is a separate state requirement from the County's zoning permission. These zoning rules apply to the unincorporated county only; incorporated cities set their own beekeeping ordinances.