Oyster Bay, NY Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Special use permit, Board of Appeals
- Minimum setback
- 50 feet from any lot line
- Last amended
- June 15, 2021 (L.L. No. 6-2021)
- Applies to
- Unincorporated areas outside villages
Summary
Oyster Bay classifies bees as farm animals under its zoning code: no residence-district property may keep bees without a special use permit from the Board of Appeals, and any hive or accessory structure housing them must sit at least 50 feet from every lot line.
5.5.16 Keeping of farm animals. No building, structure or premises shall be erected, altered or used in any residence district for the housing, feeding or harboring of pigeons, fowl, swine, goats, horses, rabbits, foxes, mink and bees, except when authorized by special use permit from the Board of Appeals. No accessory building or structure or part thereof used for the housing of such farm animals shall be located less than 50 feet from any lot line.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4036544; v24 updated 2023-03-07; through 03-07-2023).
Full Breakdown
15 (up to six per single-family residence). Instead, keeping bees requires an affirmative special use permit application to the Board of Appeals. The section also imposes a fixed setback: 'No accessory building or structure or part thereof used for the housing of such farm animals shall be located less than 50 feet from any lot line,' so a hive box counts as the kind of structure that must clear the 50-foot line from every property boundary, not just the rear or side yard. This provision was last amended June 15, 2021 by Local Law No.
6-2021. Because the standard sits in the zoning chapter's individual-use-standards section, it governs unincorporated areas of the Town outside the roughly twenty incorporated villages, each of which sets its own rules for beekeeping under a separate village code.
Violations & Fines
Keeping bees in a residence district without a Board of Appeals special use permit, or housing a hive closer than 50 feet to any lot line, is a zoning violation under § 246-14.7.1: up to $350 for a first offense, $350-$700 for a second within five years, and $700-$1,000 for a third within five years, plus up to six months imprisonment for any offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to keep bees in Oyster Bay?
How far must a beehive be from my property line in Oyster Bay?
Does this beekeeping rule apply inside the Village of Oyster Bay Cove or other villages?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oyster Bay
New York rules heatmap·Compare Oyster Bay to another location·View the New York animal ordinances overview
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