Ontario allows beekeeping under the Development Code with hive-count and setback limits. Beekeepers must register annually with the San Bernardino County Agricultural Commissioner under CA F and A Code 29040.
Residential beekeeping in Ontario is generally allowed in single-family zones with a limited number of hives and setback distances from property lines, sidewalks, and neighboring homes, typically at least 15 to 25 feet depending on the zone and lot size. The Development Code requires hives to be placed so flight paths rise over a fence or vegetation barrier at least six feet tall, which is the standard California practice to reduce neighbor conflicts. Water sources for the bees must be maintained on the owner's property so colonies do not use pools or hose bibs next door. Beekeepers with any number of hives must register annually with the San Bernardino County Agricultural Commissioner under California Food and Agricultural Code Section 29040, which funds the state's apiary pest management program. Registration is low-cost and provides notification before pesticide applications that could harm hives. Aggressive colonies can be declared a nuisance and must be removed or requeened.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Ontario, CA
Ontario Municipal Code section 5-29.14 prohibits operating any motor vehicle in a condition that creates excessive, impulsive or intrusive noise, including e...
Ontario, CA
Outdoor music is regulated under OMC Title 5 Chapter 29 and the special-event permit process. Venues and events with amplified sound need a city permit; resi...
Ontario, CA
No Ontario-specific ordinance directly regulates aircraft noise; the City's noise chapter exempts activities preempted by state or federal law (OMC 5-29.06(h...
Ontario, CA
Ontario prohibits razor wire on any wall or fence citywide, and bans barbed wire and electrified fences in residential, commercial, and residential mixed-use...
Ontario, CA
Every wall, fence, and gate in Ontario is subject to Planning Director design review regardless of whether a building permit is needed. A building permit is ...
Ontario, CA
Ontario fence requirements include zoning-based heights, setbacks, sight triangles, buffer walls on industrial edges, and CBC structural standards. Pool, ret...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in San Bernardino County.
See how other cities in San Bernardino County handle beekeeping.
See how Ontario's beekeeping rules stack up against other locations.
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