Riverside County, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing ordinance
- Land Use Ord. No. 348
- Apiary status
- Permitted agricultural use in A-1 zone
- Structure setback
- 20 ft from premises boundary
- State registration
- Annual, with County Agricultural Commissioner
- Best-suited zoning
- Agricultural / rural parcels
- Verify with
- Riverside County Planning Department
Summary
Beekeeping in unincorporated Riverside County is treated as an agricultural use under Land Use Ordinance No. 348, which lists apiaries among permitted agricultural activities in the A-1 (Light Agriculture) zone. Under California law, apiaries must also be registered with the County Agricultural Commissioner.
Every person that is the owner, broker, or is in possession of an apiary that is located within the state, on the first day of January of each year, shall register the number of colonies in each apiary that is owned or possessed by the person and the location of each apiary. Every person required to register under this article, shall do so on the first day of January of each year in which they maintain, possess, or are in possession of an apiary, or within 30 days thereafter, as prescribed in this article. (Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 683, Sec. 7. (AB 719) Effective January 1, 2023.) Food and Agricultural Code - FAC DIVISION 13. BEE MANAGEMENT AND HONEY PRODUCTION [29000 - 29812] CHAPTER 1. Bees [29000 - 29322] ARTICLE 4. Registration and Identification of Apiaries [29040 - 29057]
Full Breakdown
Riverside County's Land Use Ordinance No. 348 governs where bees may be kept in the unincorporated areas. In the A-1 (Light Agriculture) zone, the ordinance lists "apiaries" alongside nurseries, greenhouses, orchards, and aviaries as permitted agricultural uses, with associated permanent buildings and structures required to be set back not nearer than 20 feet from the boundaries of the premises. Because beekeeping is classified as an agricultural use, it is most clearly allowed on agriculturally zoned and rural parcels rather than on small standard residential lots; property owners should confirm their specific zoning and any plot-plan or use-permit requirements with the Riverside County Planning Department.
Ordinance 348 does not itself set a per-parcel hive count or hive-spacing standard in the apiary listing, so the controlling limits come from the zone's general agricultural-use provisions and any applicable conditions. Separately, California's Food and Agricultural Code requires beekeepers to register their apiaries annually with the county Agricultural Commissioner where the bees are located and to identify hives, so registration with the Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner is part of lawful beekeeping. Beekeepers should also avoid creating a nuisance, as nuisance conditions can be abated under county code.
Violations & Fines
Keeping bees in a zone where apiaries are not a permitted use, or violating plot-plan/use-permit conditions, is a zoning violation under Ordinance 348 subject to the County Code Enforcement process: administrative citations and abatement. Failure to register an apiary with the County Agricultural Commissioner violates the California Food and Agricultural Code. Confirm exact requirements with the Planning Department and Agricultural Commissioner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I legally keep bees in unincorporated Riverside County?
Do I have to register my hives?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside County
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.