Milpitas, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

The City of Milpitas does not publish a beekeeping ordinance; there is no municipal code section regarding beekeeping, and the city imposes no specific hive cap, setback, or beekeeping permit. As a result, beekeeping in Milpitas is governed primarily by California state law. Under California Food and Agricultural Code Section 29040 (Article 4, Registration and Identification of Apiaries), every person who owns or is in possession of an apiary located in the state must register each apiary on or before January 1 of each year (or within 30 days thereafter), filing the number of colonies and the location of each apiary with the agricultural commissioner of the county where the apiary is located - here, the Santa Clara County Agricultural Commissioner. The annual registration fee is $10, though a county board of supervisors may waive the fee for hobbyists with nine or fewer colonies. California also maintains the statewide BeeWhere program (administered with CDFA) to map registered apiaries and help protect bees from pesticide applications. Because the city is silent, Milpitas beekeepers should keep hives from creating a nuisance to neighbors (which could be addressed under general nuisance provisions) and verify any HOA covenants before placing hives.