San Leandro Municipal Code Chapter 4-11 Article 14 requires an Animal Permit to keep bees, sets a minimum lot size of 6,000 square feet, caps colonies at three (3) hives, prohibits front-yard hives, and imposes hard setbacks: 5 ft from any property line, 50 ft from any dwelling, and a 6-ft solid fence within 30 ft of the hive.
Article 14 of Chapter 4-11 (Beekeeping) is one of the more restrictive ordinances in the Bay Area. The Alameda County Beekeepers Association confirms that San Leandro requires a city Animal Permit in addition to the state apiary registration under California Food & Agricultural Code §29040 (BeeWhere system via Alameda County Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures). Lots smaller than 6,000 sq ft cannot legally host hives. A maximum of three hives is allowed per parcel, with no hives in any front yard. Each hive must be set back at least 5 feet from every property line and at least 50 feet from any dwelling. Hives must also be enclosed by a fence at least 6 feet in height located no more than 30 feet from the hive - this acts as a flyway barrier that forces bees up over neighbors. Statewide, Alameda County waives the apiary registration fee for hobbyists with 10 or fewer colonies, but the BeeWhere registration itself is still required, and pesticide-spray notifications under FAC §29101 follow from being registered.
Operating without an Animal Permit, exceeding the 3-hive cap, or violating the setback/fence requirements is a Chapter 4-11 violation enforced as a public nuisance under Chapter 1-12 (administrative citations, civil penalties, hive removal). Failing to register under the state BeeWhere system is a separate violation of California Food & Agricultural Code §29040 enforced by the Alameda County Agricultural Commissioner.
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