Showing ordinances that apply to Port Costa, CA
Port Costa is an unincorporated community (population 190) in Contra Costa County, California. Because Port Costa is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Contra Costa County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The beekeeping rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Beekeeping is allowed in most unincorporated Contra Costa County residential and agricultural zones subject to hive setbacks (typically 10–20 feet from property lines) and registration with the County Agricultural Commissioner. Africanized-bee incidents trigger mandatory requeening.
Contra Costa County permits hobby and commercial beekeeping in most agricultural and large-lot residential zones. The County Agricultural Commissioner requires registration of bee hives under California Food & Agricultural Code §29040 — an annual registration identifying hive location and keeper. Typical requirements include: hives set back 10 to 20 feet from property lines, flyway barriers (fences or vegetation at least 6 feet tall) where hives are within 25 feet of a neighbor, and a fresh water source on-site to prevent bees from visiting neighbors' pools. Suburban residential zones allow small-scale beekeeping (typically 2–4 hives per parcel); larger agricultural parcels allow more. Africanized honey bees (AHB) have been documented in parts of east Contra Costa County, and any hive showing aggressive behavior is subject to mandatory requeening with a European queen or destruction. Commercial beekeepers moving hives into the county must notify the Agricultural Commissioner and comply with Varroa-mite and American foulbrood inspection protocols. Neighbor complaints about aggressive hives or persistent stings can trigger County Ag Commissioner inspection.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
See how Port Costa's beekeeping rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.