Iowa City allows beekeeping subject to Title 14 (Zoning Code) and Title 8 nuisance standards. Hives must be located in the rear yard with reasonable setbacks from neighboring property lines, and beekeepers are expected to maintain a flyway barrier where colonies are close to property lines and provide a water source on-site. Iowa Code Chapter 160 (the Iowa Bee Law) authorizes voluntary apiary registration with the State Apiarist at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, which supports the BeeCheck/FieldWatch pesticide-buffer program.
Iowa City's apiary rules sit in Title 14 (the Zoning Code / Unified Development Code) and Title 8 (Police Regulations / Animal Services) at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/iowacityia/latest/iowacity_ia/0-0-0-1. Bee colonies must be kept in hives with removable combs, located in the rear yard, and set back from neighboring property lines. Beekeepers are expected to install a flyway barrier — typically a solid fence or dense vegetation at least six feet high — where a colony is within a short distance of a property line, so bees are forced to fly above adjacent yards. A convenient water source must be available on-site so bees do not visit neighboring pools, hose bibs, or pet bowls. Iowa state law layers on: the Iowa Bee Law at Iowa Code Chapter 160 (https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/160.pdf) authorizes the State Apiarist at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (https://iowaagriculture.gov/entomology-plant-science-bureau/apiary) to maintain voluntary apiary registration. Registration is free and supports disease tracking plus the FieldWatch / BeeCheck program, which alerts pesticide applicators to registered hives within one mile of blooming crops. The Iowa Honey Producers Association and Johnson County beekeeping clubs provide mentoring. Iowa City's nuisance hook in Title 8 lets the City respond to swarming, abandoned hives, or operations that generate sting complaints from neighbors. Confirm current setback and flyway standards with Iowa City Neighborhood and Development Services before installing hives.
Operating an apiary in violation of Iowa City zoning setbacks, lacking required flyway barriers, or generating nuisance conditions is a municipal infraction enforceable by Iowa City Code Enforcement and Neighborhood and Development Services. Penalties typically run from civil-infraction fines to abatement orders requiring hive relocation or removal. Failure to register an apiary with BeeCheck does not carry a state fine but forfeits the pesticide-spray buffer protection authorized under Iowa Code Chapter 160. Conditions involving abandoned hives can also draw nuisance citations under Title 8.
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