Roseville, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Hive cap
- 2 hives on non-agricultural land
- Building setback
- 500 feet from any occupied building
- Setback applies
- Even to agriculturally zoned hives
- Special permit
- Police chief can waive limits, annual fee
- Default penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
Roseville limits backyard beekeepers to two hives per property unless the land is zoned agricultural, and every hive, agricultural or not, must sit at least 500 feet from any building where people or animals normally live, under Municipal Code §§ 7.36.070 and 7.36.080. That distance rule makes the two-hive residential allowance impractical on most standard house lots.
Except upon property zoned for agricultural purposes pursuant to the zoning code, no person shall keep more than two hives of bees. Bees, whether kept pursuant to Section 7.36.070 or upon agriculturally zoned premises, shall be kept at least 500 feet from any building or structure in which persons or animals normally live or are kept.
Full Breakdown
070 caps hobbyist beekeeping at two hives on any property that isn't zoned for agriculture. 080 then layers on a 500-foot minimum setback between every hive and any building or structure where people or animals normally live, and that rule applies to agriculturally zoned apiaries as well as the two-hive residential allowance. 080 is that lawful backyard beekeeping requires either a very large parcel or effectively no occupied building nearby, since 'building or structure in which persons or animals normally live' reaches a neighbor's house as much as the keeper's own.
100 lets the police chief or a designee grant a special permit for hives that fall outside these standard limits after finding that soil, drainage, prevailing winds, insect population, sanitation, neighborhood density, or the innocuousness of the specific animals involved means public health and welfare will not be endangered. 110.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 7.36 sets no bee-specific fine, so keeping more than two hives, placing a hive within 500 feet of an occupied building without a special permit, or ignoring a permit condition falls under the citywide general penalty in § 1.20.010: a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail, unless the city attorney charges it as an infraction under § 1.20.020, which runs $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within 12 months, and $500 for a third or later repeat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many beehives can I keep in my Roseville backyard?
Does the 500-foot rule apply to hives on agricultural land too?
What if I can't meet the setback but still want to keep bees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Roseville
California rules heatmap·Compare Roseville to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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