Rancho Cordova, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- none, allowed accessory use
- Max hives (up to 10,000 sq ft lot)
- 2 hives
- Max hives (10,001-20,000 sq ft)
- 4 hives
- Setback, side/rear
- 10 feet
- State registration
- required annually by Jan. 1
Summary
Rancho Cordova allows beekeeping as an accessory use citywide without a permit, but ties hive counts to lot size, requires a 10-foot setback from side and rear lines, and reminds keepers that state law still requires annual apiary registration with the county.
A minimum lot size of 6,000 square feet is advised for beekeeping. A maximum of two hives should be allowed on any lot or parcel up to 10,000 square feet in size. For lots or parcels between 10,001 and 20,000 square feet in size, a maximum of four hives should be allowed... ... Hives should not be kept or maintained within any required front yard area. Hives located within the side and rear yard areas of a lot should maintain a minimum of a 10-foot setback from side and rear property lines to the hives... ... Compliance with State Law. Nothing in this chapter shall excuse compliance with state law applicable to apiaries, including the requirement that apiaries be registered with the county under Sections 29040 through 29056 of the Food and Agriculture Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4660102; v2 updated 2026-03-02; through 03-02-2026).
Full Breakdown
316-1, and no application form is required; the chapter instead sets advisory best-practice standards. 040 ties hive density to parcel size: a minimum lot of 6,000 square feet is advised, a maximum of two hives is advised on a lot up to 10,000 square feet, four hives on a lot between 10,001 and 20,000 square feet, and six hives on anything larger. Hives should not sit in any required front yard, and hives in side or rear yards should maintain a minimum 10-foot setback from the side and rear property lines.
The keeper is responsible for providing adequate water for the bees specifically to keep them from seeking it in a neighbor's swimming pool, birdbath, pond, or other community water source. 040(D) makes clear the city's advisory framework does not excuse state law: apiaries must still be registered with the county under California Food and Agricultural Code §§ 29040 through 29056. That state statute itself is not advisory. FAC § 29040 requires every owner, broker, or possessor of an apiary located in California, as of January 1 of each year, to register the number of colonies in each apiary and the location of each apiary, and to do so on that date or within 30 days after.
Violations & Fines
Because Rancho Cordova's local beekeeping chapter is written in advisory 'should' language rather than mandatory prohibitions, the city's own enforcement mechanism is limited to the general nuisance and code-enforcement authority in RCMC Title 8 and Title 6 rather than a hive-specific penalty. The state registration requirement in Food and Agricultural Code §§ 29040-29056 is mandatory rather than advisory, and failing to register an apiary with the county is a separate compliance obligation the city ordinance cannot excuse regardless of local zoning approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a city permit to keep bees in Rancho Cordova?
How many beehives can I keep on my property?
Does the city ordinance replace the state apiary registration requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rancho Cordova
California rules heatmap·Compare Rancho Cordova to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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