San Bernardino, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Bee colony limit
- 2 stands or swarms max
- Apiary maintenance
- Unlawful citywide
- Nuisance declaration
- Formally declared a nuisance
- Zone distinction
- None; applies citywide
- Governing ordinance
- Ord. 421, passed 1909
Summary
San Bernardino caps beekeeping at two stands or swarms of bees per location citywide; maintaining an apiary or more than two swarms at any one place is unlawful under Municipal Code § 8.03.020. The Mayor and City Council have declared larger-scale beekeeping a public nuisance dangerous to residents under § 8.03.010.
It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to keep or maintain an apiary or keep or maintain more than two stands or swarms of bees at any one place within the corporate limits of the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-2: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. MC-1666, passed 8-5-2026).
Full Breakdown
010 that the maintenance of apiaries and the keeping of bees in numbers greater than two stands or swarms within the city is dangerous to inhabitants, obstructs the free use of property, and interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of life and property of residents; the Mayor and City Council formally find it a public nuisance. 020 turns that finding into a flat numeric cap: it is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to keep or maintain an apiary, or to keep or maintain more than two stands or swarms of bees, at any one place within the city's corporate limits.
The chapter draws no distinction between residential, commercial or agricultural zones, so the two-swarm ceiling applies citywide. A statutory reference in the chapter points to the state Food and Agricultural Code's provisions on bees, but that state law does not override the city's stricter local cap. 020.
Violations & Fines
Any person, firm or corporation violating Chapter 8.03, including keeping more than two stands or swarms of bees, is guilty of an infraction under § 8.03.030, punishable in accordance with § 1.12.010: up to $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for further violations, with a fourth becoming a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many beehives can I keep in San Bernardino?
Is beekeeping banned outright in San Bernardino?
What happens if I keep too many beehives?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Beekeeping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle beekeeping.