Huntington Beach, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Distance limit
- 200 feet from any dwelling house
- Exemption
- Educational/medical research bees only
- Exemption condition
- Bees not permitted to fly at large
- Governing section
- HBMC § 7.12.010, Bees
- Max misdemeanor penalty
- $1,000 and/or 6 months jail
Summary
Huntington Beach bans keeping hive bees within 200 feet of any dwelling house, effectively outlawing backyard beekeeping on most residential lots. Only bees kept for educational study or medical/scientific research, and not allowed to fly free, are exempt.
No person shall keep or maintain, or suffer or permit to be kept or maintained, upon premises owned or controlled by him or her in the City, any hive bees within 200 feet of any dwelling house of the owner or person in control of such bees. This section shall not apply to the keeping of bees within an educational institution 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.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4954605; v17 updated 2026-06-16).
Full Breakdown
" The 200-foot buffer runs from any dwelling house, not just neighboring homes, so the rule effectively bars hive-keeping on the owner's own property if any dwelling sits within that radius, which rules out virtually every standard residential lot in the city. The only carve-out in the section is for bees kept within an educational institution for study or observation, or within a physician's office or laboratory for medical research, treatment, or other scientific purposes, and even then only if the bees are not permitted to fly at large.
08. The rule has stood essentially unchanged since 1962, carried forward through amendments in 1967, 1974, 1976 (twice) without altering the 200-foot distance or the exemption.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 7.12 does not set a chapter-specific penalty for the bee-distance rule, so a violation is enforced under the Municipal Code's general penalty provisions: § 1.16.010 makes any Code violation a misdemeanor or infraction, punishable under § 1.16.030 by up to $1,000 and six months in jail as a misdemeanor, or as an infraction under § 1.16.040 by escalating fines of $100, $200, and $500 for a first, second, and later offense within a year. Each day the hive remains within 200 feet of a dwelling is a separate offense under § 1.16.020.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a beehive in my Huntington Beach backyard?
Are there any exceptions to Huntington Beach's beekeeping ban?
How long has Huntington Beach's bee ordinance been in effect?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Huntington Beach
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