Riverside, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

Title 19 of the Riverside Municipal Code permits the keeping of bees in residential zones provided 'all other conditions of this Zoning Code and Title 8.20 are met.' The City's enforcement of Title 8 animal nuisance is contracted to Riverside County Department of Animal Services (RCDAS), while bee-specific health and apiary regulation is handled by the Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner under Riverside County Ordinance No. 551 (as amended through 551.1). Key Ordinance 551 requirements that apply inside the City of Riverside: (1) every apiary must be identified by a stenciled number on a hive at the apiary entrance; (2) a plentiful supply of fresh water must be available to all apiaries at all times; (3) no person may transport hives within the County between one-half hour before sunrise and one-half hour after sunset when temperature exceeds 55 degrees Fahrenheit unless the bees are screened; and (4) no apiary may be placed on someone else's property without written permission. Because Riverside is in the Africanized Honey Bee (AHB) zone designated by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, county practice requires re-queening of swarmed or aggressive colonies. Statewide, California AB 2468 (2020) added Food and Agricultural Code §29040 et seq., requiring every apiary owner to register hive locations annually with the County Agricultural Commissioner through the BeeWhere portal so pesticide applicators can warn beekeepers before spraying.