Hawthorne, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum distance from dwellings
- 200 feet
- Covered locations
- Homes, schools, churches, hospitals, offices
- Exception
- Educational or medical research use only
- Free-flying requirement for exception
- Bees must not fly at large
- Variance available
- None specified in this section
Summary
Hawthorne prohibits keeping any hive or swarm of bees within two hundred feet of a residence, hospital, school, church, store, office, or any other place of habitation, which effectively rules out backyard beekeeping on most standard residential lots citywide.
No person shall keep any hive or swarm of bees within two hundred feet of any residence, hospital, sanitarium, public eating place, school, church, office building, store, home, apartment house, rooming house, or any other place of habitation. This section shall not apply to the keeping of bees within an educational institute for study or observation, or within a physician's office or laboratory for medical research, treatment, or other scientific purposes, provided they are not permitted to fly at large.
Full Breakdown
030. 020 allows for other non-household-pet animals, so a resident cannot apply to keep bees closer than 200 feet to a home the way they could apply for, say, backyard poultry beyond the cap.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a hive or swarm within 200 feet of a residence, school, church or other place of habitation without qualifying for the educational or medical-research exception violates Section 6.24.060 and is enforceable under the Title 1 general penalty, Section 1.20.010, as a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail, or the city attorney may instead pursue it as an infraction or civil administrative citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a beehive in my backyard in Hawthorne?
Is there any exception to Hawthorne's 200-foot bee rule?
Can I get a permit to keep bees closer than 200 feet?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawthorne
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Beekeeping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle beekeeping.