Orem, UT Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

Orem City Code Section 22-6-10(L) permits keeping honeybees, Apis mellifera, in the rear yard of a residential lot, with hive counts tied to zone and lot size. R5, R6, R6.5, R7.5 and R8 lots are capped at two hives; R12 and R20 lots can keep three hives, rising to five hives if the lot is a half-acre or larger. Every beekeeper must register with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food under the state's Bee Inspection Act (Utah Code Title 4, Chapter 11), and hives must use removable frames kept in sound, usable condition, marked with the owner's name, address, phone number and state registration number.

Placement rules protect neighbors: hives must sit at least 15 feet from any property line and at least 6 inches above ground. If any part of a hive is within 25 feet of a property line or public access point, the beekeeper must install and maintain a flyway barrier, a solid wall, fence or dense vegetation at least 6 feet tall, extending at least 10 feet beyond the hive in each direction, so bees are forced to fly above 6 feet near the property line. Beekeepers must keep continuous water available to the colony from March 1 through October 31 to keep bees from seeking water on neighboring property, and used beekeeping equipment and comb cannot be left out in the open; it must go into a sealed container or bee-proof enclosure. The ordinance separately makes it unlawful to keep an apiary that threatens public health or safety, or that becomes a nuisance because bees repeatedly travel onto a neighboring property or a known bee-allergic resident lives next door.