Salt Lake County, UT Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

Utah is a beekeeping-friendly state, with the Utah Bee Inspection Act at Utah Code 4-11 requiring all beekeepers to register their apiaries annually with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. There is no fee for small-scale registrations and the process is straightforward. Salt Lake County Title 19 accommodates hobby apiaries on residential lots in unincorporated areas including Magna, Kearns, White City, Emigration Canyon, and Copperton. Common best-practice standards recommended by UDAF and adopted by many local jurisdictions include setting hives back at least 10 to 25 feet from property lines, orienting entrances away from neighbors or using a six-foot flyway barrier to push bees upward above head height, providing a permanent water source on the beekeeper's own property so bees do not gather at neighboring pools and bird baths, and managing colonies to prevent swarming and aggression. Typical limits on standard residential lots are two to four hives, with larger acreage allowing more. Africanized bee concerns are minimal this far north, though requeening from gentle stock is encouraged. HOAs across the Wasatch Front may prohibit apiaries entirely. Nuisance hives that repeatedly swarm, sting, or create excessive bee traffic at neighbors' homes can be cited. Salt Lake Valley supports strong urban beekeeping clubs and UDAF inspectors are available for guidance.