Fountain, CO Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum lot size
- 1 acre, residential zoning
- Hive setback
- 25 feet from property line, street, sidewalk or alley
- 1-2.5 acres
- up to 8 hives
- 2.5-5 acres
- up to 25 hives
- 5+ acres
- no hive limit
- Hive type required
- movable-frame, American Beekeepers Federation spec
Summary
Fountain allows residential beekeeping on lots of one acre or larger. Fountain Municipal Code § 17.18.020(D) requires movable-frame hives set back at least 25 feet from any property line, public street, sidewalk or alley, and ties the number of hives allowed to lot size, from eight hives up to no limit on parcels of five acres or more.
D.Beehives.1.Colonies of bees shall be maintained in moveable frame hives, constructed to meet the specifications for beehives set by the American Beekeepers Federation. ... a.Hives shall be properly shaded from adjacent night lighting on adjoining properties.b.Hives shall not be located within 25 feet of any property line, public street, sidewalk, or alley.c.Adequate space must be provided in each hive to prevent overcrowding and swarming.d.Colonies must be re-queened following any swarming or aggressive behavior.e.Abandoned colonies, diseased bees, or bees living in trees, buildings, or any other space except in movable frame hives are considered a public nuisance and shall be subject to abatement set forth in chapter 17.16 of these regulations and nuisance abatement as set forth in chapter 8.12 of these regulations.f.The keeping of bees shall restricted to residential zoned lots of one acre or more.g.Eight hives shall be permitted on residential lots from one acre to less than two and one-half acres.h.Twenty-five hives shall be permitted on residential lots from two and one-half to five acres.i.The number of beehives is not limited on residential lots of five or more acres.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
18, Animal Raising and Keeping, adopted by Ordinance No. 1742 on January 14, 2020, in the same chapter that regulates chicken hens and other livestock. 12. Hives must be shaded from neighboring night lighting, kept at least 25 feet from any property line, public street, sidewalk or alley, given adequate internal space to prevent overcrowding and swarming, and re-queened after any swarming or aggressive behavior. The number of hives scales with lot size: eight hives are permitted on lots from one acre up to two and one-half acres, 25 hives are permitted on lots from two and one-half up to five acres, and there is no cap at all on lots of five acres or more.
12. 18 also regulates chicken hens, service animals and emotional support animals, a household keeping both bees and backyard chickens must satisfy the beehive standards in subsection D and the separate chicken-permit standards in subsection E at the same time.
Violations & Fines
Violations of Chapter 17.18, including beehives that exceed the tiered limits or ignore the 25-foot setback, are enforced by the zoning administrator under § 17.02.050 and the nuisance-abatement procedure of Chapter 8.12. Abandoned colonies or bees kept outside a movable frame hive are declared a public nuisance under § 17.18.020(D)(1)(e), and enforcement carries the Code's general penalty, § 1.12.010: a fine up to $2,650.00, up to one year in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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