San Mateo County does not have a specific beekeeping ordinance for unincorporated areas. Beekeeping may be permitted as an accessory agricultural or residential use subject to nuisance rules. CDFA hive registration required.
San Mateo County's animal ordinances (Title 6) do not specifically regulate beekeeping. Beekeeping in unincorporated residential areas may be permissible as an accessory use, but nuisance provisions apply if bees disturb neighbors or create public safety concerns. California Department of Food and Agriculture requires all beekeepers to register their hives. Contact County Planning at (650) 363-4161 to confirm current standards for specific locations.
Unauthorized hives: removal order. Nuisance complaints: mediation then fines. Swarm incidents: emergency removal.
San Mateo County, CA
Amplified music in unincorporated San Mateo County is regulated by County Code Chapter 4.88 Noise Control, which caps exterior noise at 55-75 dBA daytime and...
San Mateo County, CA
Unincorporated San Mateo County enforces CVC §22651(k) for vehicles on public streets (72 hours) and Ordinance Code Chapter 4.48 for inoperable vehicles on p...
San Mateo County, CA
Unincorporated San Mateo County has no general overnight parking ban on most streets. Specific residential neighborhoods may have permit parking. California ...
San Mateo County, CA
Unincorporated San Mateo County enforces California Swimming Pool Safety Act (H&S Code §115920-115929) and CBC Chapter 31B. Minimum 60-inch barrier, self-clo...
San Mateo County, CA
Unincorporated San Mateo County requires building permits for retaining walls over 4 feet measured from bottom of footing to top of wall, per California Buil...
San Mateo County, CA
San Mateo County requires 100 feet of defensible space around all structures in State Responsibility Areas (SRA) and designated Very High Fire Hazard Severit...
See how San Mateo County's beekeeping rules stack up against other locations.
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