Pomona, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Hive limit
- 2 hives per lot maximum
- Setback
- 5 feet from all property lines
- Frame type
- Movable frames and combs required
- Water source
- Required on-site at all times
- Location
- Prohibited within required front setback
Summary
Pomona allows backyard beekeeping under the Zoning and Development Code's Urban Agricultural Uses standards. Residents may keep up to 2 hives per lot, each set back at least 5 feet from every property line, oriented away from neighbors, and equipped with a dedicated water source. Hives outside setback yards, defensive colonies, or abandoned hives become code violations enforced as a public nuisance.
The keeping of bees will be subject to the following requirements: 1. Bees must be maintained in hives consisting of moveable frames and combs; 2. No more than 2 hives must be maintained on a lot; 3. Hives must be kept in sound and usable condition at all times; 4. Hives must be located at least 5 feet from all property lines; 5. Hive entrances or openings must be oriented away from neighboring properties; 6. Hives must be continually managed to provide adequate living space for the resident bees in order to prevent swarming; 7. A water source for bees must be provided, at all times, on the property where the bees are kept to discourage bee visitation at swimming pools, hose bibs, and other water sources on other property; 8. Hive maintenance materials or equipment must be stored in a sealed container or placed within a building; and 9. Bees and hives will be considered a public nuisance when any of the following occurs: i. A colony of bees exhibit defensive, objectionable behavior or interfere with the normal use of neighboring property. ii. Bees or a hive do not conform to this Code. iii. A hive becomes abandoned by resident bees or by the owner.
Full Breakdown
Sec. b of the Zoning and Development Code, adopted July 1, 2024, sets Pomona's apiary standards inside its broader Animal Keeping rules for Urban Agricultural Uses (Sec. 1). No animal keeping, including bees, is permitted within a required front or street-side setback yard, so hives must sit behind the front building line. Within that footprint, a lot may host no more than 2 hives, and each hive must use movable frames and combs rather than fixed comb construction, must be kept in sound and usable condition, and must sit at least 5 feet from every property line with its entrance facing away from neighboring parcels.
Beekeepers must manage colonies to prevent swarming by providing adequate living space, and must keep a water source on-site at all times so bees are not drawn to neighbors' pools, hose bibs, or other water sources. Hive tools and maintenance materials have to be stored in a sealed container or inside a building rather than left exposed in the yard. The Code treats bees and hives as a public nuisance, triggering code enforcement action, when a colony shows defensive or objectionable behavior that interferes with a neighbor's normal use of their property, when the hive setup does not conform to these standards, or when a hive is abandoned by its bees or its owner.
Because beekeeping falls under the accessory-use standards in Part 5 of the Code rather than the separate Sec. 550 accessory-structure rules, no building or land-use permit is required to keep a compliant hive, but Development Services and Code Enforcement can act on nuisance complaints without a separate hearing.
Violations & Fines
A hive that violates these standards, whether by exceeding 2 hives per lot, sitting inside a setback yard, lacking a water source, or triggering neighbor complaints about defensive bees, is declared a public nuisance under Sec. 540.H.1.b.9. Code Enforcement can order abatement, and an abandoned or nonconforming hive must be removed or corrected; continued nuisance conditions expose the property owner to further municipal code enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pomona
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