Fresno County, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum setback from road right-of-way
- 100 feet
- Minimum setback from occupied structure
- 200 feet
- Pollination hive spacing near roads
- 300 feet apart, max 20 per group
- Intersection buffer during pollination
- 75 feet
- Honey extraction plant buffer
- 100 feet
Summary
Fresno County allows apiaries and honey extraction plants in any zone where they are a listed use, but Zoning Ordinance Section 834.4.070 imposes fixed setbacks from roads and residences. Beehives must sit at least 100 feet from any public road right-of-way and 200 feet from any occupied structure other than the keeper's own.
834.4.070 - Apiary Standards
A. Purpose. The purpose of this Section is to allow beekeeping in a manner that is respectful of the safety of persons that may be in close proximity to the apiary. ...3. Beehives may not be placed less than 100 feet from any public road right-of-way, except as specified in Subparagraph 2., above.
4. Beehives may not be placed less than 200 feet from any residence or other occupied structure other than that of the property owner or occupant of the property, except by written permission of the persons affected.
Full Breakdown
070 (Apiary Standards) of the Fresno County Zoning Ordinance states its purpose is "to allow beekeeping in a manner that is respectful of the safety of persons that may be in close proximity to the apiary," and applies in any zone where apiaries are listed as an allowed use under Article 2. The core distance rules: beehives may not be placed less than 100 feet from any public road right-of-way, and may not be placed less than 200 feet from any residence or other occupied structure other than that of the property owner or occupant, except by written permission of the affected persons.
Honey extraction plants face the same 100-foot buffer from any public road, residence, or occupied structure other than the operator's own, again waivable by written permission. A separate, more permissive rule covers commercial pollination hives placed near public roads: groups of up to 20 hives, spaced at least 300 feet apart, may sit 10 feet from the right-of-way or 20 feet from the pavement edge (whichever is farther), but only during the February-March almond and plum bloom window (10 days before through 10 days after bloom), and never within 75 feet of a public road intersection during that period.
The ordinance also ties compliance to nuisance control: keepers must maintain an adequate fresh water supply so bees do not create a nuisance around roads, streets, residences, or other occupied structures, and if the County determines a nuisance exists, the beekeeper must relocate hives beyond the minimum setbacks set by the section.
Violations & Fines
The ordinance does not print a standalone penalty schedule inside Section 834.4.070; enforcement runs through the County's general zoning violation and nuisance-abatement authority once a determined nuisance or setback violation is found. Where the County determines bees are creating a nuisance, the code's remedy is relocation of the hives beyond the minimum setbacks established by the section, not a fixed fine amount printed in this provision.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can beehives be to my neighbor's house in unincorporated Fresno County?
Can pollination hives be placed closer to roads during almond bloom?
What happens if my bees become a nuisance to neighbors?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fresno County
California rules heatmap·Compare Fresno County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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