Pacifica, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

Chapter 25, the City's property maintenance and nuisance abatement chapter, declares in Section 5-25.03 a long list of conditions that constitute a public nuisance, from junk accumulation and overgrown vegetation to graffiti and dilapidated fences. Item (35) of that list addresses bees directly: all apiaries maintained for keeping bees must be kept in a manner that does not disturb the peace, health, or safety of neighboring properties or the community. Unlike a zoning-based beekeeping ordinance, this provision sets no numeric hive limit, no distance from a property line, and no registration or permit requirement; the standard is purely whether the apiary is a nuisance to neighbors.

Enforcement follows the same process as any other nuisance under this chapter: a Code Enforcement Officer or police officer must first serve a written 'Declaration of Public Nuisance and Notice of Intent to Abate' under Section 5-25.05, naming the violated section and giving the property owner or tenant at least thirty calendar days to correct the condition before further action, except in an emergency summary abatement. A property owner can appeal a nuisance declaration to the Public Nuisance Hearing Officer under Section 5-25.09. Section 5-25.21 sets the penalty for a chapter violation, and Section 5-25.23 lets the City's Code Enforcement Officer and Pacifica Police Department issue criminal citations for it.