Orange, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

010 puts hive placement, not just permit paperwork, at the center of the rule. No permit can issue for any hive or box proposed within 300 feet of a dwelling other than the beekeeper's own home, and no hive can sit within 100 feet of the exterior boundary of the property where it is kept, which in practice rules out beekeeping on most standard residential lots in Orange. Once a beekeeper does qualify, the permit comes from the Director of Community Development on payment of a fee set by City Council resolution, and the permit holder must continuously maintain an adequate water supply in the immediate vicinity of the hive so foraging bees are not drawn to neighboring pools, spas or irrigation systems instead.

If the Director denies or grants a permit, any person, not just the applicant, has 10 days from the decision to appeal it to the City Council, which can reverse, affirm or modify the Director's call, but the ordinance ties the Council's hands in one direction: it cannot grant a permit unless it affirmatively finds and determines there will be no adverse effect on either adjacent landowners or the general public. That finding requirement, layered on top of the fixed setbacks, means an appeal is not simply a paperwork review but a fresh determination of neighborhood impact.