Beekeeping is legal in New York County under NYC Health Code 161.01, which was amended in 2010 to permit hives with registration to the NYC Department of Health and hive management standards.
Before 2010, honey bees were on the NYC prohibited animals list under Health Code 161.01. The code was amended in March 2010 to remove Apis mellifera from the prohibited list and create a beekeeper registration system. Manhattan beekeepers must register each hive annually with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, providing the address, number of colonies, and contact information. The code requires beekeepers to maintain colonies in movable frame hives with adequate space, provide a convenient source of water so bees do not congregate at neighbor pools or faucets, replace queens to manage swarming, and site hives away from regular human activity. Rooftop beekeeping is extremely common in Manhattan on buildings in the East Village, Upper West Side, Midtown, and SoHo, and is supported by the NYC Beekeepers Association. Hives are not allowed within co-op or condo buildings without board permission, and building code 27 requires structural review for heavy rooftop loads. Violations of Health Code 161.01 carry 200 dollar to 2,000 dollar fines.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
New York County, NY
Manhattan enforces NYC Admin Code 24-235, which prohibits a dog from barking more than 10 minutes continuously during the day or 5 minutes at night in any re...
New York County, NY
Manhattan enforces NYC Administrative Code Title 24 Chapter 2, limiting interior residential noise to 45 dBA between 10 PM and 7 AM, with NYPD and DEP respon...
New York County, NY
Outdoor music events in Manhattan require an NYPD Sound Device Permit and a Mayor Office Street Activity Permit, and must comply with NYC Admin Code 24-244 t...
New York County, NY
NYC Admin Code Title 24 Chapter 2 sets tiered dBA limits in Manhattan: 45 dBA interior night residential, 50 dBA day, 7 to 10 dBA above ambient commercial, w...
New York County, NY
Private outdoor pools are rare in Manhattan, but any residential pool over 24 inches deep must have a 4-foot barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates u...
New York County, NY
Barbed and razor wire are prohibited on residential property in NYC. In landmarked or historic districts of Manhattan, the LPC controls fence materials and t...
See how New York County's beekeeping rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.