Kings County, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

Kings County is heavy agricultural country where bees are vital for pollination, and beekeeping is regulated primarily by California state law rather than a backyard-hive ordinance in Chapter 4 of the County Code. Under California Food and Agricultural Code Section 29040, registration of an apiary must be filed with the agricultural commissioner of the county in which the apiary is located (or with the director if there is no commissioner), and the law applies to all beekeepers regardless of the number of colonies, the purpose (honey, pollination or hobby) or the type of hive. Registration is generally tied to bees present on January 1 each year, and an annual registration fee of ten dollars ($10) is paid to the county commissioner; the board of supervisors may waive the fee for a hobbyist who keeps nine or fewer colonies and is not in the business of beekeeping (Sec. 29040). Beekeepers may also file location notices so they receive pesticide-application notifications (Food & Ag Code Sec. 29101). Whether hives are allowed on a particular parcel, and any setback from property lines, depends on the parcel's zoning under the Kings County zoning ordinance, so confirm with Community Development. For registration, contact the Kings County Agricultural Commissioner's office. Bee-related nuisances could also be addressed under the County's general nuisance provisions.