San Clemente, CA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Any hive or swarm of bees in the city
- Exempt
- School/lab research bees not flying at large
- Fee
- Set by council resolution (§ 6.28.020)
- Issuing authority
- General manager, Coastal Animal Services Authority
- Revocation
- Allowed for any Chapter 6.28 violation
Summary
Keeping any hive or swarm of bees anywhere in San Clemente requires a permit under the city's wild-animal chapter. A narrow exception covers bees kept for study or research at schools and labs, as long as they are not allowed to fly free.
It shall be unlawful for any person to have, keep, or maintain any hive or swarm of bees within the city without a permit. The provisions of this section shall not apply to the keeping of bees within an educational institution for study or observation or within a physician's office or laboratory for medical research, treatment, or other scientific purposes, provided they are not permitted to fly at large.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Traffic: Supplement 30 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
28 governing wild, exotic and nondomesticated animals, makes it unlawful for any person to have, keep or maintain any hive or swarm of bees within the city without a permit. The section carves out one exception: bees kept within an educational institution for study or observation, or within a physician's office or laboratory for medical research, treatment or other scientific purposes, do not need a permit, provided those bees are not permitted to fly at large. 050. The chapter does not set a numeric limit on the number of hives or a minimum setback from property lines for a permitted hive; it conditions the activity entirely on holding a valid permit, so a resident planning a backyard apiary needs to apply before installing a hive rather than after neighbors complain.
Violations & Fines
Keeping bees without a permit is an infraction under the general Title 6 enforcement rule in Section 6.04.070, punishable by a fine up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $500 for later offenses within a year under Section 1.16.010. A pattern of three violations within a year is charged as a misdemeanor, carrying a fine up to $1,000 or up to six months in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a beehive in my San Clemente backyard?
Is there an exception for research bees?
How much does a beekeeping permit cost?
What happens if I keep bees without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Clemente
California rules heatmap·Compare San Clemente to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Beekeeping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle beekeeping.