Grand Forks, ND Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

A beekeeper must first apply for and receive a beekeeping permit from the director of the public health department or the director's designee, who may inspect the apiary before issuing or renewing it. No more than two hives are allowed on any single property, and no hive may exceed twenty cubic feet in volume. Every hive must sit at least five feet from the property line, fifteen feet from any public sidewalk, and twenty-five feet from a principal building on an adjacent lot; hives cannot sit in a front or side yard abutting a street in a residential district.

If a ground-level hive is within twenty-five feet of a neighboring building's doors or windows, the beekeeper must either face the hive entrance away from those openings or install a six-foot flyaway of fencing, wall or vegetation within three feet of the entrance, extending at least two feet on either side. Rooftop hives need a six-foot setback from the roof edge and the same flyaway-or-orientation choice. Colonies must stay in removable frames, get a convenient water source while active outdoors, and beekeeping equipment must be kept in good condition and secured against weather, vandalism or theft.

Permits expire December 31 each year and may be renewed annually if conditions are still met; the health director can revoke or suspend a permit for noncompliance or nuisance.