The City of Napa expressly permits beekeeping as an accessory use in all zoning districts under Napa Municipal Code Section 17.52.055, subject to operation in accordance with the Best Management Practices (BMPs) for beekeeping in Napa County adopted by City Council resolution. Hives must be moveable-comb, located behind a six-foot screening barrier (flyway), out of the front setback, and maintained to prevent swarming and aggressive behavior. Hive numbers are capped according to the lot/acreage table in the BMPs. State law requires every beekeeper to register their apiary annually with the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner by January 1 under California Food and Agricultural Code Section 29040.
Napa is one of the more beekeeping-friendly cities in California. Zoning Ordinance Section 17.52.055 at https://qcode.us/codes/napa/view.php?topic=city_of_napa_municipal_code-17-17_52-17_52_055 establishes that beekeeping is allowed as an accessory use in all zones within the City, recognizing urban beekeeping as 'an important complement to urban food production and to the City's natural resources goals stated in the General Plan Update 2020.' The section imposes several operational requirements: (1) apiaries shall consist of moveable comb hives in sound and usable condition; (2) the beehive entrance shall be situated behind screening that is six (6) feet in height in accordance with the flyway, fencing, and barrier standards in the BMPs; (3) apiaries shall not be located in a front setback; (4) the suggested maximum number of beehives is set by lot/acreage in the BMPs; and (5) apiaries shall be operated and maintained in accordance with the Best Management Practices for beekeeping in Napa County developed by the Napa County Beekeeper's Association and adopted by City Council resolution. The City's beekeeping ordinance history traces to Ordinance No. 1377 (https://napacounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2900/Revised-Beekeeping-Ordinance-PDF?bidId=) and the BMPs are published by the Bee Keepers of Napa Valley (https://www.beekeepersofnapavalley.org/beekeeping-regulations). The state-level apiary registration requirement is at California Food & Agricultural Code Section 29040 (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=FAC§ionNum=29040.) — every person owning or in possession of one or more colonies of bees in California must register with the County Agricultural Commissioner of each county where the apiary is located, with renewal annually by January 1 and a $10 fee. The Napa County Agricultural Commissioner administers Napa registrations at (707) 253-4357, agcommissioner@countyofnapa.org (https://www.napacounty.gov/2610/Beekeeping). Registration is logged through the statewide BeeWhere program at https://beewhere.calagpermits.org/. Best practice in Napa includes provision of a water source on the keeper's lot, rear-yard placement, and adherence to the BMPs' swarm-management and Africanized-bee protocols.
Beekeeping that violates the placement, flyway, moveable-comb, or BMP requirements of NMC 17.52.055 is a zoning violation enforceable by City Code Enforcement with administrative citations, abatement orders, and potential removal of hives. Swarming or aggressive-behavior incidents that injure neighbors are independently actionable as a nuisance under Title 1 of the Municipal Code and may also draw a civil claim. Failure to register an apiary with the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner violates California Food & Ag Code Section 29040 and is enforced by the County Agricultural Commissioner with civil penalties and the loss of state movement permits.
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