Beekeeping is broadly allowed in unincorporated Nevada County. Hobbyist apiaries with fewer than 10 hives pay no County registration fee (Board Resolution 93-393, July 28, 1993). All apiaries must be registered with the California Department of Food and Agriculture through the BeeWhere portal as of January 1, 2025. Commercial apiaries are capped at 48 hives per location during nectar flow (May 15 - October 15) and must keep a 2-mile buffer between new commercial locations.
The Nevada County Board of Supervisors waived the County registration fee for hobbyist beekeepers in Resolution 93-393 (July 28, 1993). A hobbyist is defined as an apiary with fewer than 10 hives. Effective January 1, 2025, all apiary registrations are filed directly with CDFA through the BeeWhere portal - state fees are $10 for 1-9 colonies (waived in Nevada County), $100 for 10-49 colonies, and $250 for 50+. Local commercial-apiary rules cap a single location at 48 hives during the nectar flow window of May 15 through October 15 and require a 2-mile buffer between newly established commercial apiary sites. All hives must be marked with the owner's name and contact phone number; off-residence apiaries require a posted sign on the entrance side or stenciled identification on each hive. Beekeepers must provide a water source (natural or artificial) on-site to reduce nuisance watering at neighbors' pools and pet bowls.
Failure to register with CDFA can result in a state administrative penalty. Unmarked hives or commercial apiaries exceeding 48 hives per location during nectar flow are civil violations under the County apiary ordinance.
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See how Grass Valley's beekeeping rules stack up against other locations.
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