Kennewick has no dedicated beekeeping ordinance. Apiculture is generally permissible as an accessory residential use subject to nuisance rules in KMC 18.12.040. Washington RCW 15.60 requires every beekeeper, regardless of hive count, to register annually with the Washington State Department of Agriculture by April 1.
Title 8 (Animal Control) and KMC 18.12.040 do not specifically enumerate honeybees, and bees are not counted in the three-per-kind, six-total small animal cap. Beekeeping is generally treated as an accessory residential activity subject to the general nuisance provisions in KMC 18.12.040, which require animals and birds and their surroundings to be maintained to prevent nuisance and to not roam or fly onto adjacent property. State law fills the regulatory gap. RCW 15.60.021 requires every person owning one or more hives, every broker renting hives, and every out-of-state apiarist operating hives in Washington to register with the WSDA by April 1 each year. Registration captures name, address, phone, colony count, and an apiarist identification number is issued. Fees are set by rule under advice of the Apiary Advisory Committee and are deposited into a dedicated apiary account. RCW 15.60.080 provides civil liability protection: a registered apiarist who complies with applicable local ordinances is not civilly liable for acts or omissions in connection with keeping bees absent gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Failure to register with WSDA under RCW 15.60.021 may result in loss of the RCW 15.60.080 civil liability shield and administrative enforcement by the Department. Local nuisance issues such as swarming, aggressive colonies, or hive placement next to a property line may be addressed by Code Enforcement under KMC 18.12.040 with notice of violation, civil penalties, and abatement orders.
Kennewick, WA
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