Rock Hill, SC Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Front yard hives
- Not allowed anywhere
- Street-side setback
- 50 ft if side yard borders a street
- Neighbor setback
- 25 ft from occupied structures
- Property line setback
- 5 ft minimum
- Water supply
- Required to keep bees off neighbors' water
- Hive ID
- Owner contact info posted on hive
Summary
Rock Hill's Zoning Ordinance lets property owners keep beehives as an accessory use, but bans placing them in a front yard or a street-facing side yard closer than 50 feet to the street, requires a 25-foot setback from neighboring buildings, a 5-foot setback from property lines, and a posted owner-contact placard.
Bees: Hives cannot be placed in the front yard of any land use. Hives also cannot be placed in any side yards that border a street unless they are placed at least 50 feet away from the street. Hives must be placed at least 25 feet from all occupied structures on adjacent properties and 5 feet off all property lines. Hives must face away from all occupied structures on adjacent properties that are located within 30 feet of the hives. A fresh water supply must be maintained to prevent bees from congregating at water sources on nearby properties. Owner contact information must be posted on the hive for use by City inspectors or members of the public with questions or concerns.
Full Breakdown
6, part of the ordinance last updated June 22, 2026. Placement is tightly controlled: a hive can never sit in a front yard, and a hive in a side yard that borders a street is barred unless it sits at least 50 feet from that street. Every hive also needs a 25-foot buffer from any occupied structure on an adjacent property and a minimum 5-foot setback off every property line on the beekeeper's own lot, and where an adjacent occupied structure sits within 30 feet of the hive, the hive must face away from that structure so the bees' flight path does not run directly toward the neighboring home.
Beekeepers also carry an affirmative duty to keep a fresh water supply near the hives, aimed at stopping bees from swarming a neighbor's birdbath, pool or other water source instead. Finally, every hive must display the owner's contact information so a City inspector or a concerned neighbor can reach the beekeeper directly without going through code enforcement first. C, which caps that special-exception agricultural use at two hives per acre; that per-acre cap applies only to the larger agricultural land use, not to an ordinary residential accessory hive covered here.
Violations & Fines
A hive placed in a front yard, too close to the street or a neighboring structure, or kept without the required water supply or contact placard is a Zoning Ordinance violation, enforced the same way as any other zoning breach under § 11.4.1: correction notice, then Notice of Violation, then a municipal court citation for continued noncompliance. A conviction is a misdemeanor carrying up to a $500 fine per day plus court costs and up to 30 days in jail, with each day of the violation counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I place a beehive on my Rock Hill property?
Is there a limit on how many hives I can have?
Do I have to do anything besides set the hive back from my neighbors?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rock Hill
Compare Rock Hill to another location·View the South Carolina animal ordinances overview
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