Long Beach, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Max hives
- 4 per residential property, § 6.24.010(A)
- Registration
- with LA County, filed with Animal Care Services
- Front-yard placement
- prohibited
- Setback
- 10 ft minimum from all property lines
- Flight barrier
- 6-ft screen or 8-ft elevation required
- Water source
- mandatory, to deter bees at neighbors' pools
- Penalty
- misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
Long Beach caps residential beekeeping at four hives per property under LBMC § 6.24.010 and requires County registration filed with the Director of the City's Animal Care Services Bureau. Hives can't sit in a front yard, must stay at least ten feet from every property line, and need a six-foot flight barrier or eight-foot elevation.
A.No more than four (4) beehives may be established or maintained on any residential property within the City.B.Any person intending to establish or maintain any beehive on any residential property within the City must first register with the County of Los Angeles and provide a copy of such registration to the Director of the Animal Care Services Bureau.C.No person shall establish or maintain a beehive in the front yard of the property.D.No person shall establish or maintain a beehive at a distance less than ten feet (10') from all property lines.E.Beehive entrances shall face away from or be parallel to the nearest property line(s).F.Beehives must either be screened so that the bees must fly over a six-foot barrier, which may be vegetative, before leaving the property, or be placed at least eight feet (8') above the adjacent ground level.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
010(A)). Before establishing a hive, the keeper must register with the County of Los Angeles and give a copy of that registration to the Director of the City's Animal Care Services Bureau (B). Hives cannot go in a front yard (C) and must sit at least ten feet from every property line, with entrances facing away from or parallel to the nearest line (D, E). Each hive must either be screened so bees clear a six-foot barrier, which may be vegetative, before leaving the property, or be placed at least eight feet above the adjacent ground (F).
Keepers must also maintain a water source on the property at all times specifically to keep bees from congregating at neighbors' pools or hose bibs (G). The chapter defines "beehive" broadly as any box, container, structure, chamber or shelter bees occupy (H) and "dwelling" as any place of human habitation (I). 22. 010.
Violations & Fines
Keeping more than four hives, skipping County registration, or violating the front-yard, setback, screening or water-source rules is a misdemeanor under the citywide penalty scheme in LBMC § 1.32.010, up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both, with every day of noncompliance charged as a separate offense; the condition may also be declared a public nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many beehives can I keep at my Long Beach home?
Do I need to register my hives?
Can I put a hive in my front yard?
What if my hive is close to a neighbor's pool?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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How other cities in Los Angeles County handle beekeeping.