Pasco, WA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing rule
- PMC 9.90.040(2), general nuisance list
- Trigger for enforcement
- Offensive smells, noises, or conditions
- No dedicated permit
- No apiary license or hive-count cap in code
- Penalty
- Up to $500 civil code infraction
- Enforcing office
- Director of Community and Economic Development
Summary
Pasco has no dedicated apiary permit or hive-setback ordinance; PMC 9.90.040(2) instead lists bees among the animals that become a public nuisance only if kept in a way that creates offensive smells, noises, or conditions in the neighborhood. Any owner who lets a hive rise to that level faces the same nuisance abatement process as any other property violation.
The following specific acts, omissions, places, conditions, and things are declared to be nuisances: ... (2) The keeping of rabbits, chickens, goats, pigs, bees, mules, horses, mink, dogs, cats, muskrats, or any other animals within the City limits of the City that are of such nature as to create offensive smells, noises and conditions in the vicinity in which they are kept;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4837, passed May 4, 2026).
Full Breakdown
" Bees sit alongside livestock and pets in this single subsection, meaning Pasco does not license apiaries, cap the number of hives, or set a minimum distance from a property line or dwelling the way some cities regulate beekeeping directly; the trigger for enforcement is the same nuisance standard applied to any other animal, an offensive smell, noise, or condition affecting the surrounding area. 100 lets the Director of Community and Economic Development or a designee send written notice to the property owner or occupant demanding removal or correction within a specified period, and if the person fails to comply, the City can enter the property, abate the condition itself, and bill the cost to the owner, with the amount subject to a lien filed with the Franklin County Auditor if unpaid within 30 days. A beekeeper who ignores that notice is also exposed to the chapter's standard civil code infraction penalty.
Violations & Fines
PMC 9.90.090 sets the penalty for any violation of Chapter 9.90 PMC, including an offensive apiary: "Every person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter has committed a code infraction and shall pay a penalty not to exceed $500.00." Each day the offensive condition continues after notice can be charged as a separate code infraction, and unpaid City abatement costs can become a lien on the property under PMC 9.90.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to keep bees in Pasco?
Can my neighbor complain about my beehives to the City?
What happens if the City decides my bees are a nuisance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco
Compare Pasco to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
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